I Don't Need You
by Higgy
Summary: Who said being a vampire was easy? finished
1. I Don't Need You: Beginnings

I don't need you: Beginnings.  
  
So, it all started with Xander tripping through the Magic Box entrance, all limbs and grins. "Guys! Come quick! Spike is getting his ass kicked by a girl!"  
  
Giles looked up from his book. The others barely bothered. "Spike always gets his ass kicked by a girl," the Watcher pointed out, before returning to his work.  
  
Xander made an exasperated, helpless gesture in the air "This is the part where you're all supposed to jump up and rush outside with me."  
  
"Oh, I suppose we COULD take a break..."  
  
A resounding scream came from outside, and in a heartbeat they were all on the sidewalk, watching in awe as Spike laid face first on the pavement, with a girl straddling his thighs and pinning his hands in his back. A giggle came from Buffy. Willow elbowed her with a scowl she didn't really have the corresponding attitude to back up. Giles himself could barely contain his amusement.  
  
Spike wiggled, trying to worm his way out of the girl's hold.  
  
"BLOODY HELL WOMAN!!"  
  
"SAY UNCLE!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"SAY UNCLE. I have a book with me, I can stay like this forever!"  
  
Spike just growled and wiggled some more. Xander, enjoying himself silly, addressed the young woman.  
  
"Ah, miss?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well first, welcome to Sunnydale."  
  
"Nice to be here."  
  
"You're straddling a vampire."  
  
She looked at the back of the blond head before replying sarcastically,  
  
"You don't say. And I thought it was a bunny rabbit." She looked back at Xander and the giggle gang behind him. "The forces of darkness not so tough nowadays huh?"  
  
"Well, he's usually a bit manlier than this."  
  
Spike wiggled before replying, "Thanks, mate."  
  
"You an old buddy of his? Someone with a grudge?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Then why..."  
  
"Just getting to know my next charge is all." She cut in, raising her head to flick the few blonde strands of hair out of her eyes. She really should have brought a hair band. "Besides, we're only playing."   
  
"This is playing?" Spike managed to spit out. If he hadn't been dead he would be having trouble breathing right now.  
  
"Oh, BITE ME!"  
  
Those two last words were yelled at Spike's head, and she yanked his arms higher on his back, getting a howl of pain out of him.  
  
"OW!"  
  
"Oh, be quiet."  
  
"No respect for the mother country!"  
  
"TAKE THAT BACK!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
Giles stepped in, stifling his own chuckles. "Children, children. Please. Miss..."  
  
"Gauden. Harriet Gauden but please, call me Higgy. Everyone else does."  
  
Buffy made a face. "For real?" Willow elbowed her again.  
  
"Miss Gauden, I assure you that Spike is not dangerous. You can release him. And thank you for that, by the way. We..." He smirked. "That was enjoyable."  
  
Higgy considered this, and then taking her time stood up. As soon as he was free Spike jumped on his feet and stood at a safe distance, glaring at the girl angrily.  
  
She dusted her trousers casually and shouldered her bag, muttering. "Goddamn Americans..." She turned to head back to her new flat but was intercepted by Xander.  
  
"Wait wait wait. What are you?" Because, hey, she'd just tackled a master (if a little emasculated) vampire.  
  
She looked at him oddly, reaching for an answer. "I'm... a girl?"  
  
"Yes, but what else?"  
  
"Uh... English?"  
  
Buffy perked up. "For real?"  
  
"Buffy, shh!" Willow warned her.  
  
The wheels in Xander's head worked quickly. "Oh. Riiight. Mother country, the accent, the clothes..."  
  
"What's wrong with the clothes?" she asked defensively, looking down at her black faded jeans and tight '99% Angel 1% Bitch' top. All covered in her long leather duster. She lifted the hem of her jeans and inspected her boots carefully. "I don't look that bad, do I?"  
  
"No...so, what are you?"  
  
"I'm...well...at the moment tired. So can we talk about this tomorrow whoever you are? I've had a long flight. I only came to see my next one and it turns out he has a gang. " She ran one hand through her blonde strands and looked pleadingly at the others. "I really need to sleep."  
  
"Sure, I mean we could meet up here tomorrow right Giles?" Willow asked catching sight of the girl's grateful smile.  
  
"Certainly, after we close up we'll have a meeting. I'm actually rather interested in your being here. Not many people would have been able to take on a master vampire by themselves, let alone overpower one into submission." Giles received a scowl from Spike at this statement and immediately refrained from making eye contact.  
  
"Great." Higgy nodded her thanks and began walking away again. She turned mid stride to face the others while walking backwards . "And bring William with you." She turned back round to make her way home, and grinned as she felt Spike trying to glare a hole in her back.  
  
Spike piped up, finally. "If you ask me, we should get rid of her. She's bad news."  
  
Everybody turned to him with their hands on their hips.  
  
Spike threw his hands in the air. "FINE! The girl just ATTACKS me, but sure, fine, leave her to traipse around town like a bloody she-devil." He stormed off in the opposite direction to Higgy towards his Crypt. 


	2. I Don't Need You: Home

I don't need you: Home  
  
Higgy grinned to herself as she heard the door slam behind her, alerting her flat mates to her presence.  
  
"Hey." Chez replied to the usual entrance of her friend. She looked up from her book to see the scowl plastered on Higgy's face. She raised her eyebrow in question and received a glare in response. "I'll get the ice-cream shall I?"  
  
Higgy nodded while hanging up her coat, it had been a bad start. She walked into the main area to throw herself into her favourite chair and wiggling around into a more comfortable, upside down, position. She sighed to herself and let her hands drag over the rough surface of the floor as she watched her friends enter.  
  
"Alright," Amy began. "Tell all." She handed Higgy the tub of mint chocolaty goodness and a spoon before relaxing onto the end of the sofa she occupied. Chez threw her book over the other side of the room before looking back at Higgy wearing an inquisitive look.  
  
Higgy frowned, more to herself than anyone, "Are you sure I can't stake him?"  
  
"What?" Was Chez' immediate reaction. Amy just shook her head. "That bad?"  
  
Higgy pouted and brought the spoon to her mouth before nodding sulkily. "That bad." She removed the spoon and chewed the end. "He is going to be a bundle of fun alright. Seems like he's got some friends, which could complicate things slightly." She shook her head again and gathered another spoonful of sympathy.  
  
"Friends?" Amy looked confused. "How can he have friends? He's meant to be a vampire you know all 'grr' and fangy. Are you sure he's not...you know like Angel?" Her eyebrows almost knotted together as she screwed her face up.  
  
"No." Higgy replied, finally sitting up into a position where she was less likely to choke. "No soul. He pounced when I crept up on him, didn't care whether I was innocent or not. Defiantly still unsouled." She sighed and went to replace the half empty carton in the freezer, Amy and Chez on her tail.  
  
"So, what's he like?" Chez asked as she jumped onto the counter like a child. "Do you think you'll be able to handle him?"  
  
"Of course I will Red." Higgy grinned as she used her nickname for the natural redhead despite it being covered in blonde streaks. "There is nothing I can't handle. Besides, we all thought Angel would be the death of me, and look at him. In L.A. with his own business helping the world for redemption." She grinned at the memory. "I'm sure I'll be able to deal."  
  
"So what does he look like?" Amy was desperate to know, because let's face it, you never know. "Should I dress up?" She began playing with her hair as she said it, wondering what different styles she could try.  
  
Higgy chuckled to herself and Chez rolled her eyes. "Well you can meet him tomorrow. We're having this big ass meeting at their place at seven. I guess you guys should come since Red is going to be training with him and he's going to be here a lot."  
  
"Really? I get to train with a master vampire?" Higgy laughed again before nodding to the excited girl. "Cool!" she squealed and ran out of the room dancing.  
  
"Groovy we really get to meet him before you start? Great." She paused before continuing. "Wait...if you just went to see him and came straight home..."  
  
Higgy sighed she hated this part too. "We have to explain the whole thing tomorrow."  
  
Amy let out a small sigh in frustration. "Well then we'd better get some sleep. Night."  
  
"Night Amy. Night Red!" she called. Receiving a small giggle and squeak in reply. She kicked her boots off into the direction of the door and padded to her room. Things were going to get interesting.  
  
She went into her room and shifted the mess scattered on the floor to make a pathway. Yawning, she got changed into her pyjamas and threw her clothes into a corner. She threw herself onto her bed and pulled out her book on Vampire behaviour. Laying on her stomach she began to flick through the pages before coming to rest on the one she had been reading on the plane.  
  
However, before she could pick up from where she left off she had fallen fast asleep and was snoring softly into her pillow. 


	3. I Don't Need You: Introductions

I don't need you: Introductions  
  
At 6:45 the next evening the Scooby gang and Spike were in the magic shop waiting for Higgy to arrive. Anya was at the till counting money with Xander's arms wrapped round her waist, Willow was talking to Giles about their acquaintance and her possible reasons for attacking Spike, while Buffy was training in the backroom and Spike was sitting on the table smoking.  
  
"What if she's a vampire?" Dawn asked. She had been dragged along by Buffy who refused to leave her little sister at home alone, and was sitting doing homework at the end of the table that Spike was not sitting on. "I mean, you guys only saw her last night. She could be trying to trick you."  
  
"She can't be, she was wearing a crucifix round her neck. If she were a vamp she would have been smoking." Spike replied before taking another drag from his cigarette. "'Sides she didn't smell dead and the chip fired when I hit her. She's alive."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Plus if she was a vampire she would be dust by now." Buffy supplied as she came back into the main shop. "No vampire gets past the slayer. Except for ones with souls and chips." She added hastily.  
  
"So we think she's, you know, normal?" Willow asked.  
  
"What? Buffy we must find and destroy this 'normal'." Xander quipped. He moved and sat next to Willow on the counter. Sure it was fun being best friends with and witch and the slayer but sometimes he felt like a third wheel.  
  
"Yes very funny Xander." Giles began. "But I really feel that we shouldn't tell her our personal details quite yet. We should get to know the girl first. See if she's trustworthy before we tell her everything."  
  
"But she knows about vampires already. She knew Spike's real name and she kicked his ass."  
  
"HEY!"  
  
"Anya she may indeed know about vampires and demons and by the sound of it Spike, but it is likely that she has no idea what a slayer is. Besides..." Giles was cut off when Higgy burst in with two girls flanking her.  
  
"Sorry we're late. Met up with a few vamps on the way. Tricky sods, they had a Fangar demon with them, but they were a good piece of training for us." Higgy explained to the scoobies.  
  
"Are you okay?" Willow asked. When she received three nods in reply she sat back down.  
  
Higgy grinned. "All right. First introductions. This," she pointed to the girl on her right, "Is Cheryll Fenwick. She's a potential." Waiting for the gasps of the scoobies she looked disappointed when she heard nothing. "You know? A potential?" pause. "A potential slayer? One of the ones who could be chosen should anything happen to the current slayer?"  
  
"Oh really?" Giles spoke up, finally understanding what the girl meant. "That's fascinating." He walked up to Cheryll and began to shake her hand in greeting. "I'm so glad to meet you. I've never met a potential before."  
  
"Thanks. "Cheryll grinned, clearly not sure whether to be scared or pleased with the man's recognition. "I'm pleased to meet you." She released her hand and began to wander round the shop while talking. "I love being a potential you know. It's great being able to kill vampires and demons and everything. Ever since I found out I've been training and fighting. It's great, I love this life."  
  
"That's wonderful. Tell me who's your watcher?"  
  
"Oh...erm...I...I don't have a watcher. I've been training with Higgy for what seems like ever. I don't think I have a watcher. I don't care; it's fun with Higgy. She's not all stuffy and boring. She lets me fight against real vampires and teaches me really cool stuff. I'm glad I don't have a watcher."  
  
"This is amazing...there's never been a case of a potential with no watcher."  
  
"Well what can I say? I'm unique." Cheryll began wandering round the shop while the others all looked at Higgy questioningly.  
  
"Hey, she's my friend. And since I had a lot of training already, it was just easier for her to come with me then to get a watcher." Higgy explained.  
  
Buffy was staring at the wandering girl with interest. "Giles are you trying to tell me that if anything happens to me then she might take my place?"  
  
"What?" Cheryll turned around and locked her gaze on Buffy. "You're the slayer? Cool!"  
  
"Yeah, I'm Buffy Summers. This is Dawn my little sister, Giles my watcher, Willow she's a Wicca, Xander he's my friend, Anya his girlfriend, and Spike." Buffy pointed as she introduced everyone and they waved to the girl, except Spike who lit himself another cigarette.  
  
"Oh...so he's the one?" Cheryll looked at Higgy who nodded in reply.  
  
"Yeah, but let's just finish intros first okay? This," she pointed to the other girl who had been silent all this time, "Is Amy Ford. She's our friend. Ever since we found out about Red and me she's been there. Helping with training and research."  
  
Amy waved at the scoobies who waved back. "So you're normal?" Xander asked.  
  
"No I'm..." Higgy nudged her in the ribs, hard. "Ow...yes...I'm normal. Well as normal as I can be considering..." Higgy nudged her again. She sighed, folding her arms in denial. "I'm normal. Unlike some people here..."  
  
"Amy!"  
  
"What? Higgs you've got to tell them. Spike's not going to be able to do this on his own. So stop with the small talk and tell them."  
  
"What? What am I not going to be able to do on my own?" Spike asked trying to control his temper. He was sick of this. First the girl embarrasses him beyond belief and now she's making friends with his...well not friends exactly but they were his none the less.  
  
Higgy sighed before answering. "You might want to sit down." 


	4. I Don't Need You: Discovering

I don't need you: Discovering.  
  
"No, no more small talk. What are you here for?" Spike growled.  
  
"All right. Calm down Will." She saw his visible scowl at the mention of his human name and made a mental note not to use it again. "Look there's no easy way to say this. I'm the Vampire Carer. Your Carer to be precise." She looked at Spike to see his reaction and was shocked when he began laughing.  
  
"You?" he snorted unable to keep a straight face. "You a vampire carer? I don't think so."  
  
"THE Vampire Carer if you don't mind." She scowled and folded her arms. It really wasn't a good start. "And yes I am the Carer. Deal with it."  
  
"But...but you're so young!" was Spike's only retort through the laughs. This had to be a joke.  
  
"Well being young didn't stop me from helping your Sire a few years back." Higgy folded her arms and put a smug grin on her face as the vampire turned to face her. "And I was even younger then. Only...fourteen. You've got the new improved older version."  
  
Spike glared at her and began growling. "What do you mean? You helped my Sire?" Spike had leapt off of the table and was now stomping round the shop waving his arms about animatedly with each question. "How? When? Why did the great poofter need help? Tell me woman!"  
  
"Gees, calm down first of all." She grabbed the vampire's arms and steered him towards a chair. "Now sit down, all of you," she nodded to the rest of the Scooby gang. "And I'll explain everything."  
  
"Oh God. Higgs!" came Amy's moan from over the blonde's shoulder. "Do we have to hear all of this again? It gets a little boring after the billionth time!" she strutted over to stand next to Chezza, who also had a look of disgust on her face.  
  
"Look DL, Red I'm sorry 'bout this, but they have to know. It just wouldn't be right for Wi...Spike to go through this and have the others tease him because they didn't understand. They have to know." At this comment Spike had immediately began to bother Higgy about what was going on. She sighed before pointing to the back room. "Okay, DL," she returned to using her nicknames, "take Red and do some training in the back room. Just try and keep it down and DON'T go O.T.T. on the attacking like last time!"  
  
Amy chuckled to herself as she dragged the potential away from the magical urn she was playing with and into the backroom. "That was not my fault." She protested. "The wall just wasn't strong enough. Plus you always moaned that it would look better with a window."  
  
Higgy turned back to the utterly confused scoobies and vampire. "Sorry to use your room without asking but I had to get rid of them. That's okay right?" she looked up at Giles apologetically.  
  
"Of course," he nodded, "that's fine. Now tell me." He began getting all watcher like. "What is this 'Vampire Carer' business? There are no records of this in the watcher's diaries."  
  
"Well of course there's not." Higgy started, sitting next to Spike and readying herself for the long explanation. "It's got nothing to do with the Watchers or Slayers. It's vampire thing, except that I'm not a vampire and it only includes certain vampires." she sighed to herself again.  
  
"So what you look after the baby vamps or something?" Xander interrupted. "Has little Spikey been a bad boy?" he ruffled Spike's hair as he said this and received a growl from the annoyed vampire.  
  
"No whelp. A vampire Carer is the one girl in the world who helps vampires and can't be bitten by them. Sort of the opposite of the Slayer." Spike explained all he knew. "She helps them through times of difficulty and guides them."  
  
"What do you mean, 'can't be bitten'?" Willow asked. "Surely if she's human and has blood she can be bitten?"  
  
"Well you see, it's hard to explain." Spike rubbed the back of his neck. "She...Higgy...well vampires just steer clear of her. It's like a rule. You don't approach the Carer unless you are her next or old charge."  
  
"How do they know who the Carer is?" Buffy asked. "Is it like me being the slayer? They just know?"  
  
"Well," Higgy began "So far I'm specialised in the order of Aurelius and only those specific vamps that I've been able to contact know. Angel was meant to inform William but obviously some other issues, such as torture, got in the way, and Wi...Spike didn't get the message. That's why he pounced on me."  
  
"Hey you were hanging out with three other vamps it thought you were with them." The vampire shrugged. "It was and easy mistake to make."  
  
"I was asking if they knew where you were. They called you a traitor and said that you'd be here hanging out with your pet humans. So I came here and you pounced before I could get inside."  
  
"What do you mean pet humans exactly?" Xander inquired, looking clearly frustrated.  
  
"Don't worry, they got staked for that."  
  
"So what kind of things does a Vampire carer help vampires with?" Giles began taking notes. Boring Watcher Higgy thought.  
  
"Well I'm here to help Spike while he goes through a difficult stage in his unlife."  
  
"What stage?" Spike looked up from flattening his hair from Xander's earlier ruffling. "What?"  
  
Higgy raised her eyebrows, clearly shocked at the vampire's reaction. "You don't know? Really?" She chuckled to herself and made a mental note to phone and yell at Angel. "Spike," she began. "How old are you?"  
  
"Erm...126."  
  
"And when's your Birthday?"  
  
Spike looked around at the scoobies before muttering something inaudible.  
  
"What was that Spike?" Xander cupped a hand to his ear in mock deafness.  
  
"November 14th. That's when Dru turned me." Spike folded his arms and looked away when Anya spoke up.  
  
"But that's in two days! Why didn't you tell us?"  
  
"There was no reason to. Why d'you wanna know Higgy?" he spoke to avoid more of the Scooby's questions.  
  
"Well when a vampire turns 127 you know what happens don't you?" she sighed and added to the mental note to seriously yell at Angel, when Spike shook his head. "Well a vampire begins their equivalent to puberty." She winced when she heard the whole shop yell in confusion.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Yeah...that's why I was hoping Angel had told you. It was his right as a Sire to do that."  
  
"Git. I'll kill him."  
  
"Already there."  
  
"So what's so hard about this puberty that Spike needs help?" Giles asked, notes lying forgotten on the table.  
  
"Well vampire puberty, or Sinco as we call it, is a lot harder than human puberty. The whole process only takes about 3-4 months but there is double the amount of changes than human puberty. So usually the vampires end up staking themselves trying to get out of all the changes, they can't cope without help, they don't understand what's happening and Sires just aren't up to the job."  
  
"It can't be that bad." Xander tries to reason. Seriously not seeing what was so hard about this.  
  
"Higgy's right." Came a voice from the backroom doorway. It was Amy. "I've seen it. The vampires have no idea what's going on. It all happens so fast that they can't cope. I've seen it happen. When we didn't get to Sam in time. He was a wreck, he could barely stand let alone feed." She wandered over and put her hand reassuringly on Higgy's shoulder. "We weren't in time to stop him."  
  
"That's when Higgy became specialised in the order of Aurelius. That way there wont be too many to handle at one time." Cheryll finished while dusting her hands off and scowling at the fresh cuts.  
  
Higgy sighed before glaring at Amy. "I thought I told you to go easy on her."  
  
"I was, she just caught the wrong end of the sword." Higgy sighed to herself again. This was going to be a long night. First details then home to researching and training followed swiftly by first aid.  
  
"What happens that's so hard?" Willow asked again.  
  
"It starts with mood swings. And not just little ones either. We're talking about big ones. You might get to see a few more sides to Spike. There's a lot more but let's just focus on one thing at a time." She turned to the vampire who was staring into space trying to ignore what he had just been told. "Spike I'll come and see you on the 14th so I can see if you're okay. If you feel anything weird or different then I want you to come to our flat or phone me. Okay?" she waited for some sign of response and went to hand him the piece of paper. She tucked it into the pocket of his duster when he leapt up.  
  
"I don't need your help!" he yelled at the blonde. "I'll deal with this myself. I don't need you; I don't need anybody. You watch, I'll be fine. Don't you dare come and see me. I don't want your help." He stormed off out of the shop door and slammed it shut behind him obviously hoping to smash the glass.  
  
"Oh dear...he's started early." 


	5. I Don't Need You: Stages

I don't need you: Stages  
  
Higgy sighed to herself as the door squeaked to a close on its hinges.  
  
"Are you gonna follow him?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Nope." Higgy got up and began pacing around the shop looking at interest at the assorted magical items. The scoobies all looked at her in confusion, obviously not expecting that answer. "What?"  
  
"Aren't you meant to? I mean, isn't he your charge?" Dawn asked. "Aren't you responsible for him?"  
  
"Indeed I am. However, he asked me to stay away. And stay away I shall." She picked up a book from the shelf she had wandered over to and began flicking through. Clearly interested in the information hidden there.  
  
"See, Higgy never pressures her vampires into things." Amy explained. "She prefers to let them find out that they need her first."  
  
"They always do this at the beginning." Cheryll continued where Amy had left off. "They go off to their home, get really bad mood swings, then they realise just how hopeless they are. Then they come and find Higgy." She hastily put down the orb she was fiddling with when it began glowing red suddenly.  
  
"It's more fun and it doesn't make them feel worthless, it lets the vampires feel that there was no other choice." Amy added. "It's a vampire power thingy. They like to feel in control all the time."  
  
"Stupid vampire reverse psychology." Higgy whispered to Dawn who looked extremely confused at Amy's explanation. "Don't worry about it." She paused and put down her book to hastily remove Cheryll from the path of a stray arrow from the crossbow Amy was holding. "Put that down." She hissed and turned to the grinning scoobies. "So...what do you guys do for fun around here?"  
  
The rest of the evening was spent by Higgy, Cheryll and Amy being shown the sights of Sunny Dale by the Scooby gang. Mainly the seventeen cemeteries and their residents. Most of whom became dust.  
  
However, the slaying had to draw to a close when Cheryll was almost bitten as drowsiness overcame her. Had it not been for Amy at the last minute, there would have been one less potential in the world. So the scoobies finished off the night and arranged to meet up with the girls on the 16th, hopefully Spike would have come round by then.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Spike growled to himself and stalked to his crypt. Who did this girl think she is? To walk in on his unlife and order him around. Why should he listen? He had gotten on fine when Angelus had abandoned him to look after Dru by himself. Why did he need her? He was perfectly capable of looking after himself.  
  
He threw open the door forcefully and stamped over to the fridge to grab a packet of blood. He drained it within a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, it didn't make him feel better and he sighed while throwing himself into his comfy chair, tossing the packet over his shoulder.  
  
He flicked every channel on his telly and growled at it when there was nothing on. The growling didn't really help, but he thought it might. Growling again he got up and stomped over to the sarcophagus and began kicking and punching it repeatedly, gaining a few cuts and scrapes on his hands and a very scuffed up Doc Marten.  
  
"Stupid bloody girl!" he yelled while continuously beating the stone case. "Why can't she see I'm fine! I don't need help! I don't have mood swings and I don't need her!" he winced as he felt a toe almost break and decided to stop. Suddenly it didn't feel so fun to kick the stonework. Actually it didn't feel fun to hurt anything at all. He frowned and went back to his chair, to think it over.  
  
What was going on? He hadn't told the scoobies, but he had been feeling weird for a few days. Maybe he was going through Sinco, or whatever Higgy said...No! No he wasn't! He wasn't weak. He wasn't some really weak, stupid, unprepared, unloved, little freak of a vampire with a chip in his head, who couldn't admit that he needed help when he was crying himself to sleep every night for no reason. No. That was not him.  
  
He sighed to himself and wiped his slowly watering eyes. Finally admitting to himself that something was wrong. Big bad vampires don't cry for no reason. Certainly not him...then why was he doing just that? He thought as he curled up into a ball and fell asleep with tears sliding down his face.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Higgy awoke to the sound of someone at the door. Grabbing her dressing gown she wrapped it round her self and attempted to smooth out her frizzy hair. Whoever it was knocked again.  
  
"I'm coming." She called and pulled back the latch. Opening it she didn't even raise an eyebrow when she saw Spike standing on her doorstep, looking at his feet to avoid her eyes. Even now she could see the tracks from where the tears had fallen.  
  
"I need help." 


	6. I Don't Need You: Welcome

I don't need you: Welcome.  
  
"I need help."  
  
He whispered it so helplessly that Higgy almost felt her heart shudder at the emotion. It just wasn't right for a vampire to feel this way.  
  
"I know." She answered just as quietly. "And I'm going to help you. Come in." she stood aside as he slowly crept in as if afraid to be there. "We'll talk about it tomorrow, right now, you look like you need some sleep." She led him over and watched him lay on the sofa. Covering him with a nearby blanket and putting a pillow under his head, she whispered, "if you need me, I'm in that room there." She pointed across to her door before leaving his side to go through it.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Wiping sleep from her eyes, Amy trudged into the kitchen. God it was boring being normal. She longed for the days back home, when Higgy, Chezza and her would just hang around the mansion for hours on end. Higgy training her tiger, Cheryll playing with her Jack Russell and her riding her horse. Many hours were lost to them, just being themselves. But coming back to civilisation...boring.  
  
At least at the mansion they could have space to themselves and be with other people if they wanted, she mused as she poured herself a bowl of some scabby American cereal. But here, eurgh. In a cramped flat, with barely enough room for any of her stuff. She hated always being on the move. True it was fun at first, moving from place to place, not really having a home. But now...now it was just annoying. But she had been sworn to help protect the vampire carer, and protect her she would.  
  
She took her bowl and moved to the couch; maybe some telly would help her get her mind away from the past. She lowered herself to find something already there...  
  
"Higgy!"  
  
"Actually, it's Spike." The lump replied. "And would you mind not screaming? Vampire senses you know."  
  
Making a frustrated noise she leapt up and stormed into the blonde's room. Pulling back the covers she revealed a frizzy haired Higgy. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked in the most patient voice she could manage.  
  
"Well I was sleeping." She replied while attempting to grab the covers back. Unfortunately, Amy was used to this game by now and was holding them way out of reach. Reluctantly she gave up and flopped back onto her pillows, hands examining her hair.  
  
"Oh, and here was me thinking you'd invited a vampire into our home, without asking...Again!"  
  
"Shh. Keep it down DL." Higgy grabbed a hairbrush and began taming the tangle. "He's in a bad place right now. Don't make him feel unwelcome he needs us. Please?"  
  
Amy sighed. Head in hands, she peeked out through her fingers to see Higgy's pleading look. "What do you want me to do?"  
  
Grinning insanely Higgy began bouncing on the bed. "Thanks. Could you help me explain everything to him? Like the rules and what's going to happen and everything?"  
  
"Sure." Amy replied. She also grinned at the blonde's enthusiasm, it would be gone within a few days she could tell. It always started like this. And every time they played this little game, and every time she said she would help, it was kinda like a ritual to them. But for the time being, Higgy was happy and she was planning to try and keep it that way. "I'll get changed and go blood shopping, then I'll come home and we'll get talking to Fangy."  
  
"Thank you Dl. Oh and while you're there, could you get..." Higgy was cut off by a doglike yelp and a squeal from the other room.  
  
"And Cheryll's awake."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Bloody hell woman, not so high pitched. Were you a dog in your previous life?" Spike groaned and uncovered his ears. Okay he needed help, but he didn't sign on for this as well.  
  
"Higgy!" the potential whined, still seated on the vampire. "He got in my way, come and punish him!" she grinned inwardly when she felt the vampire tense slightly.  
  
Punish? No way. Help was needed, not yelling. It would be just like Angelus otherwise, and he did not need all that again. "I didn't do anything." He yelled to the blonde coming out of her room, fully dressed. "She's lying." He pointed at Cheryll, showing whom it was to Higgy and Amy who was slipping out of the door, sighing and muttering something about vampires as she went.  
  
Higgy chuckled, maybe this vampire was different, and he didn't seem to act so tough as the others. It usually took them around 2 days to come to her, but Spike had come in less than a day. That really was unusual.  
  
"Don't worry Spike, it's just a thing she does. Jumping on the sofa, no matter who's on it at the time." She busied herself in the kitchen waiting for Amy to return with the blood. "You'll get used to it, eventually. Now Red be good and get off the vampire."  
  
"But he's comfy. Better than Angel, he was all bony and didn't like me." She pouted. "I was only ever nice to him." Higgy grinned as she remembered when Red had almost beheaded the mentioned vampire causing the slight dislike of the girl.  
  
"I'm sure Spike doesn't want to be crushed by your big arse Red."  
  
Cheryll opened her mouth in mock horror. "Oh you'll pay for that Blondie."  
  
"Blonde but natural. Unlike some people."  
  
This was received with a growl from Red and she promptly jumped off the confused vampire and pounced on Higgy, pulling her up from the chair, before throwing a barrage of punches and hits in the Carer's direction. She deflected them all and took no time in knocking the younger's feet out from beneath her, catching her before she could hit the floor. "Lesson number 12 Red. Don't take on anything you can't handle." Pulling the potential to her feet she grinned and went to sit by the confused vamp. "First rule of our home. Always be ready for a fight. With me being a Carer, Red a potential and DL a descendant of the spi..."  
  
"Higgy!"  
  
Higgy was cut off just in time. She thought about what she'd just said and tried to correct herself. "I mean with DL being a friend of ours, we have to always be ready. Hence the weapons around the room, except for the stakes which are not left lying around."  
  
"Why?" asked Spike, clearly deciding which weapon to try first.  
  
"Just in case one of my charges gives up. Stakes are kept well away. The punch bag is in the cupboard so if you ever get bored just take it out and hook it up over there," she indicated a hook in the far corner, "And throw a few punches."  
  
"Okay. I think I'm going to like it here."  
  
"You will, oh and if you don't mind, you'll be helping to train Red on a regular basis to help keep your mind off of things. Or if she's not here, just ask me or Amy and we'll throw a few punches." Higgy grinned when she saw the vampire's shocked face.  
  
"What?" Amy grinned from the doorway. "Did you expect camp Caring? Do what you want just stay out of my room and don't drink all of my J2Os. Your blood is in the fridge. Wanna bag?"  
  
"Sure, that would be great, thanks pet."  
  
Amy grinned and threw one in the microwave. "Higgy?"  
  
"Present."  
  
"Have you told Angel yet?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Can I please be here when you do?"  
  
"Can we phone him now?" Red bounced up and down excitedly. "Please please please?"  
  
Higgy watched in amusement. "Yes you can watch me make a 200 year old vampire beg for forgiveness."  
  
"Can I?"  
  
"Yes Spike you can watch. But afterwards, we have to get explaining all this. Okay?"  
  
"Yep." Came three replies all waiting for the blonde to pick up the phone. Sighing she waltzed over and picked up the receiver and began dialling the number she knew so well. 


	7. I Don't Need You: History

I don't need you: History.  
  
The phone rang a total of six times before a familiar British voice picked up. "Angel investigations, we help the hopeless." This caused Spike to chuckle to himself and Cheryll to giggle.  
  
"Hey Wesley." Higgy began. "It's Higgy, I'm just calling to speak with Angel, I've got a bone to pick with him."  
  
"Oh hello Higgy. I'll go get him for you, hang on a second." This was followed by the sound of Wesley yelling to the vampire upstairs and telling him to 'move his brooding arse' which made Spike's grin spread across his face. Putting the machine on speakerphone, Higgy waited for her old charge to pick up.  
  
"Hello? Higgy is that you?" came a deep voice from the LA end.  
  
"Yes it is Angelus. And you, Mister have got some explaining to do." She paused and almost heard the vampire cringe.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Angelus, how many Childer did you have?"  
  
"Three. Penn, Drusilla and William. Why? Higgy," he sighed, "You know all this."  
  
"Yes, and Penn died and Drusilla was too insane to understand what happens when a vampire reaches maturity right?"  
  
"Right. I told you this. I didn't need to tell any of them about it, they never reached that age."  
  
"Oh really? Have you checked your calendar lately Angelus?" Higgy turned to face Spike when she sensed the nervousness suddenly come off of him. He frowned slightly and shrugged making the nervousness disappear. Higgy shook her head and went back to staring at the phone, making a mental note to speak to Spike about it later.  
  
Angel paused before answering. "No. Why? Should I?"  
  
"I'll save your time Angelus." Just by using the old name she knew she was making the older vampire squirm. "It's November 14th, William's 127th birthday."  
  
There was a pause and a faint muttering from the older vampire. "Angelus? Hello? Are you still there?"  
  
"Shit!"  
  
"Angelus?"  
  
"Higgs I gotta go, I've gotta go to Sunnydale and find him, he needs to know! I can't believe I forgot. He's gonna hate me more than ever now." The Carer, her charge, the potential and DL could all hear the panic in his voice, it was obvious that the previous Scourge of Europe was close to hysteria.  
  
"Angel! Calm down!" Higgy waited until she heard the other take a few deep unneeded breaths before continuing. "It's okay. I'm in Sunnydale. Spike's here with me, he's fine."  
  
"He's there? You found him? He's your charge now? Is he okay? Has it started yet?" Higgy sighed and picked up the phone off of speakerphone and went over to the other side of the room, leaving the others watching her closely.  
  
"Angel," she went back to his new name to attempt to calm him down, it had worked in the past. "Listen. He's here with me, Red and DL don't worry. He's in capable hands, I helped you didn't I?"  
  
"Yeah. Listen Higgy; can...can I come see him some time? I need to apologise and I wont believe he's okay 'til I see him." Higgy sighed to herself. This was typical sire behaviour. It didn't matter that Angel and Spike had been fighting since the elder abandoned them. They were still Angelus and William at heart, and Sires would always care for their childe.  
  
Looking over at Spike she covered the handset and whispered what Angel had just asked. She was shocked to see Spike looking paler than before and quietly playing with a loose thread on his shirt. She watched as DL nudged him and brought him back to reality. "Spike?" she asked. "Higgy wants to know if Angel can come and see you."  
  
Without even considering the question he shook his head and said loud enough for Angel to hear, "No, I don't want to see him. Ever. The wanker ruined my unlife!" as soon as he was finished he stood up abruptly and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.  
  
Amy and Cheryll instantly rose from their seats and followed the distressed vampire while Higgy stayed, removed her hand and spoke to Angel again. "Angel? I really don't think you should."  
  
"Is he mad?"  
  
Higgy paused as she heard a smash and a yell from the bathroom before continuing. "I think that's an understatement. Angel, he's having mood swings, and I don't think this is the first time. By the looks of things, he's been like this for a while and might be moving onto the next stage soon. I think the best thing you can do is stay away for a while."  
  
"Higgy, I need to see him. Please. He's my childe, you can't keep me from seeing him." A snarl was added for dominance, but Higgy was having none of it.  
  
"You listen to me Angelus! I am his Carer and I say stay away. The best thing you can do is stay away and let us calm him down. You can come and visit him soon I swear. He just needs to understand first. You know what it's like. All of the emotions and feeling so confused. Please Angel, just wait."  
  
Angel sighed before answering. "You're right Higgs. I'm sorry I flipped out. I've just never had to deal with this before. I'm...Higgs I'm scared. What if he can't deal and stakes himself? It's all my fault."  
  
"Angel?" Higgy whispered. "You're not at fault. You're a good sire and you didn't know. Don't worry. He's with me; I'll make sure he's okay. I promise."  
  
"Thanks Higgs. I trust you. Look after him for me."  
  
"I will. Goodbye Angel."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Without another word she hung up and threw the phone onto the sofa before going to find the others. She reached the bathroom to find Red kneeling by the door softly talking to the frustrated vamp, while DL came over to tell her what had happened. 


	8. I Don't Need You: Next

I don't need you: Next  
  
"He's crying." She sighed. "He went in there and threw a few things about, breaking something. Next thing we heard, he was crying."  
  
Higgy nodded and took a deep breath; however before she could go over to the door DL grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "What?"  
  
"He's different from the others." She whispered. "The mood swings are too close together and too short. Something's not right."  
  
"I know. Just remember, he wasn't brought up like the others. He had no idea what was coming. And he was already 'humanised' before we found him. Maybe he has too much humanity in him too cope." She brushed past when the other girl nodded and went to crouch beside Red. "Spike?" she whispered. "It's Higgy. Are you okay?"  
  
There came a shuddering breath and a quiet reply of, "I...I don't think so."  
  
"What did you do Spike?" Higgy asked gently. "You can say, we wont get mad." There was a long pause where Higgy deduced that Spike was shaking his head and trying to stop crying unsuccessfully.  
  
"Please Spike. We just want to help." Red whispered, trying to soothe him.  
  
"I...I'm so stupid. I smashed something; I don't know what it was. I'm sorry." He pleaded, almost childlike through the door, gaining sympathy even from Amy. "I...I'm so sorry." Here he broke of and began sobbing behind the door, making Higgy wish she had removed that lock.  
  
"Spike? Please stop crying." Cheryll tried again only to receive more sobs than before. She looked pleadingly into Higgy's eyes. The Carer put a comforting hand on her shoulder; she knew Red hated it when they cried; it always made her feel helpless.  
  
"Amy?" she asked her friend. "Could you? You know? Just go to see him?"  
  
Amy smiled reassuringly. "Sure Higgs. I'm here to help." And with that she closed her eyes and slowly faded from view, letting herself fade into the bathroom. Having not quite mastered how to disappear and reappear she could only see into the room and not be seen by the vampire. Which was probably a good thing.  
  
"What do you see?" Cheryll asked.  
  
"He's curled up in the corner crying his little undead heart out." She muttered, despite not being able to be heard by Spike. "He smashed a glass bowl. Higgy I think...I think he's hurt himself pretty badly. There's blood. A lot of blood."  
  
"Okay, come back to normal and we'll try to get him out of there and tend to his wounds." Slowly Amy faded back into view and went to get the first aid kit from the kitchen. This looked bad.  
  
"Spike? I need you to come out of the bathroom for me." Higgy gently spoke through the door. "Could you do that please?" she stood up and dragged Cheryll to the side and waited. Slowly the door opened to reveal a red eyed Spike, with tears still poring down his cheeks. "There we go. Now come with me back into the living room." She held out a hand and he slowly took it but didn't move.  
  
"Here." Cheryll held out her hand also and he took it, albeit a little slower than he did Higgy's. Slowly the girls led him to the living room and sat on the sofa with him between them, now able to see the full extent of the damage. There were slashes up and down his arms and particularly deep across his wrists. Bite marks were running along the forearms and blood was still dripping from the punctures.  
  
Amy came over with the first aid kit and knelt in front of him. "Spike?" she carried on when he looked up from the floor into her eyes. "I'm going to clear up the blood and bandage your arms. It's going to sting a little bit. Okay?" When he nodded she pressed an alcohol soaked cloth onto one of his wounds and he winced and tried to pull away. Luckily Amy had hold of his wrist and the two girls beside him were gently but firmly holding him still.  
  
As she moved the cloth up his arms and cleaned away the blood he began to whimper and tried to curl in on himself. Higgy felt pity and turned so he could bury his head in her arms and cry into her shoulder while Amy worked. Cheryll sat rubbing the vampire's back in soothing circles and hushing him gently. Amy had soon put a soothing balm on the cuts and had bound the wounds. When she had finished she stood and put her arms around the shaking vampire and began whispering in his ear. After five minutes of this, Spike had calmed down and was now sitting with his head leaning against Higgy's shoulder while the other two sat beside and made sure they were helping with calming him down.  
  
"Spike?" Higgy broke the silence. "You need to tells us what you felt. It could help us understand what stage you're at."  
  
Drawing a shuddering breath Spike sat up and wiped at his eyes, clearing them of blurriness. He avoided looking at any of the girls directly and spoke quietly. "I felt so stupid. I wanted to get away. When I heard Angelus I got so angry. He abandoned me. Why does he pretend he cares? So I yelled and went and locked myself in the bathroom and yelled at him for being a stupid wanker who left me. I was only 20 when he left. Then I threw the glass thing. It smashed into a million pieces and I picked one up and cut myself. I kept doing it again and again. I...I..."  
  
After a while Spike fixed his gaze to a point on the floor and didn't look like he would continue. "Spike?" Red began. "You what?"  
  
"I thought I was human again." He put his head in his hands and his shoulders shook as he let out a few more tears with each girl soothing him. "I wanted to die. I didn't want him to care. I didn't want to deal with this on my own. I got so confused. I was so angry I vamped out and I began licking up the blood without realising. Then I remembered and bit myself, then I thought I was human again and tried to stop I got so confused."  
  
"It's okay Spike." Hushed DL. "This happens to all vampires. Your memory plays tricks on you and you get confused. You're not stupid. Not at all."  
  
Spike dried his face and sighed to himself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to burst into tears like that. It just happened."  
  
"Don't be sorry Spike. You have no control over what's happening. It happens to all vamps and you're doing well. Isn't he Higgy?" Red added, smiling at the vampire to try and raise his spirits. He smiled shyly back and looked to Higgy for an answer.  
  
She positively beamed at him. "He's doing fantastically. There's just one more thing I need to know Spike. Are your fangs hurting at all?" when Spike nodded she closed her eyes for a second and continued. "Welcome to stage two." 


	9. I Don't Need You: Embaressment

I don't need you: Embarrassment.  
  
"St...stage two?" Spike stuttered as he spoke, obviously cautious and slightly wary of what it would be. And with good reason, when he found out about Sinco to begin with he had been so emotional he had to come to the Carer. "What's stage two? It's nothing bad is it?"  
  
"No Spike," DL soothed, "It's not bad. Not bad at all."  
  
"You're still going to have mood swings and be really emotional for a while though." Cheryll added. Receiving a glare from Amy, she instantly shut up.  
  
"But, aside from all that, this next stage isn't so hard."  
  
Spike looked at each of the girls in turn, a fearful gaze in his eyes as he asked, "What's stage two?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Buffy was in the back room of the magic shop working out when she heard Dawn yell excitedly, and decided to go and see what her little sister found so great. When she entered the main shop she almost had the mind to turn around and go straight back to training.  
  
"Hello Spike." She said between a forced smile. "Great to have you back." She turned to the others. "Nice to see you brought him back Higgy." She nodded at the Carer. "Cheryll, Amy." She waved at the other girls. "Thought you'd forgotten about us."  
  
"Not at all." Amy smiled politely back, not quite sure why the slayers cheeriness sounded so forced. "Couldn't forget about the protector of the world and her sidekicks could we?" she muttered to herself, receiving a swift push from Cheryll who could hear her.  
  
Spike hugged Dawn tightly and whispered something in her ear, and the two began a discussion, in which Higgy was sure she heard something about boys, shoes and an upcoming high school dance. She shook her head and began looking around the shop for ingredients.  
  
Giles came out from the basement and looked ready to kill when he came in. "Blast it all to hell! I can't find anything on this poxy 'Sinco' in vampires."  
  
"Why not just ask Higgy?" Cheryll's face lit up when she saw the watcher smile at her.  
  
"Hello girls. Yes that would be an idea Cheryll but I'm afraid you girls haven't been around since we first saw you and you forgot to leave an address." He threw a book onto the nearby table and went behind the counter grabbing a few extra books.  
  
"We like to keep a low profile." Amy grinned back at the man. He was now looking very flustered and was flicking over two books at the same time.  
  
"What do you want to know? I've got all night." The Carer answered and sat on the table, juggling three glass jars, each containing a different colour liquid. "Well, until dawn, then we've got to get Spike home before he turns to dust."  
  
"Well," the watcher began only to be cut off by Xander and Anya entering the shop, with Willow in tow.  
  
"Hey, guys. I see our favourite un-evil vampire is back." Xander quipped. Making Buffy stare at him with a confused look on her tiny face. "Yes I like Spike more than Angel."  
  
"Who wouldn't?" Spike immediately clapped a hand over his mouth and refrained from speaking. His voice had just gone into a growl at the end of the sentence, and it was like he had no control over it. He coughed and tried to speak again, only to whimper and get weird looks from all of the Scoobies, including his Nibblet. He knew if he had been human his face would be red right now.  
  
"I was going to ask what happened after the mood swings, in Sinco. But it seems that Spike has answered that for me." Giles continued ignoring the vampire's look of utter embarrassment.  
  
"Yes." Higgy uncorked one of the bottles she had been juggling and sniffed it. Making a repulsive face she continued. "The next stage for vampires is when their throats and mouths begin to mature. Being a vampire, Spike's main form of self-defence is to vamp out and bite at the attacker. Also, as you know, vampires have to bite to feed and bite to turn people. "  
  
"So why is his voice changing then? I mean that's not used to kill or turn or fight is it?" Willow questioned, seeing the flaw in Higgy's explanation.  
  
"No, you're right. Vampire's voices need to mature so they can communicate. It's not really used so much now, but when vampires were really common, they would have territories and usually they would hunt in packs, much like wolves today."  
  
"So, why don't they just talk before hand? Like make a plan?" Anya suggested, making Spike roll his eyes, although he didn't speak in fear that his voice wouldn't work again.  
  
"Because humans are extremely unpredictable creatures." Amy butted in. "One minute, you'll have them running for their lives, the next, they've run around a corner and have a whole army waiting for you. Vamps use the ancient language of Vampiric to communicate in a way that humans cannot understand. That way, when they hunt, if a human does something unpredictable they can change the plan while chasing it down."  
  
"Cool!"  
  
"Dawn! That is not cool. It's disgusting. Vampire's are disgusting." Receiving a hurt look from Spike and making him go straight over and stand by Cheryll who was exploring the shop.  
  
"And it's not only that. Vamps use their voices in all different sorts of ways. They growl when angry, purr when content and different noises make a huge difference in vampire families."  
  
"How?" Giles asked, again being the boring watcher.  
  
"Well, say a childe, not yet reached Sinco, went out on his own. Daybreak comes and goes and still the childe isn't back. By now the sire would be out on the streets searching for his lost childe. After a while if he still doesn't find him he'll call."  
  
"Call?"  
  
"Yep. Sires call for their childe when they get lost. And if a childe gets into trouble, they usually call for their sire. It's really sweet when you see it. William used to do it all the time when he got cornered. He would cry like a little lost kitten after trying to avoid the sun all day, and Angelus would hear him, come sweeping in out of nowhere and hold him so tightly you couldn't tell if they were one person of two. Then Angelus would pick up his baby and carry him all the way home, lay him on his bed and whisper how sorry he was that he hadn't found him sooner." Amy stared out of the window, lost in her memories while the Scoobies all stared at her in confusion, and Higgy just began juggling the bottles again.  
  
A shuddering breath and whimper from the corner of the room brought them back to reality and Amy continued.  
  
"Any way. Vampire's voices mature through Sinco. That's why master vampires and fledglings sound so different. After Sinco, a vampire's growl is twice as loud and as low. They can reach frequencies we can only dream of hearing." Amy finished her speech and went over to Red and Spike to see what was wrong. Not even over there for a minute she turned back and mouthed something to Higgy who nodded in reply and watched as the other two took Spike out of the door, and by the looks of things, home.  
  
"What's up with him?" Anya asked as the door swung shut.  
  
"Just some minor discomforts."  
  
"Like?"  
  
"Well, it's not only his voice that changes. So do his fangs. Sinco is when a vampire becomes, like an adult. It's usually the time a vampire leaves their family and goes out to make it on their own, and make their own family."  
  
"Therefore having to sire more people..." Willow followed.  
  
"And have stronger teeth to do so." Higgy finished. Glad that the others understood. "So Spike's mouth is going to be very sore for a while. So if he gets really grouchy and grumpy, don't hold it against him. His fangs will get longer and he may not be able to control them. They've already started to hurt, so it wont be long until they bleed." She sighed and jumped up from the table, putting the bottles back and making her way to the door.  
  
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a vampire to care for." 


	10. I Don't Need You: Blood

I Don't Need You: Blood.  
  
"I hate this." Spike sighed and threw himself on the sofa after Amy had opened the door. In the few days that he had been living with them, the girls had already worked out that the sofa was Spike's domain. He slept there, ate there and rarely moved from the spot when he was in a mood.  
  
"We know. It's horrible. But don't worry, you'll get used to it. Then it'll feel weird when you get back to normal." Cheryll grinned and sat in the opposite chair to Spike, with her guitar in her arms.  
  
"Guys?"  
  
"We're in here Higgs." Amy called from the living room. The Carer followed her voice and immediately went over to the lounging vampire.  
  
"Alright." She sighed. "How are your fangs feeling?"  
  
The vampire glanced up at the blonde before answering. "Sore. But what are you gonna do about it?"  
  
Higgy frowned and nodded at Amy, who in turn grinned and went to stand by the other girl. Spike watched in confusion, before sitting up with a wary glance at the brunette. Cheryll just continued tuning her guitar without even glancing up. "If I were you," she muttered, "I'd run."  
  
That was it. Spike was off. Sprinting round the flat with Higgy and Amy chasing after him while Cheryll strummed a few odd notes. "Get back here!" and "Would you stop it!" were among the shouted phrases from the girls as they hurtled after the vamp.  
  
After about twenty minutes of this, in which a lot of objects were broken and the sofa was now turned on its side, Cheryll decided to intervene. Sticking out her leg she tripped up Spike and Higgy and Amy managed to pin him down.  
  
"What are you gonna do?" he asked while Amy got out a bag and put it next to her. Unconsciously, he had vamped out and his fangs had pierced his lip as he fell. The metallic tang of blood was flitting across his tongue, making him crave more of the liquid.  
  
"Fix you." Amy shrugged and pulled out a pair of pliers from the bag. They glinted in the soft light and seemed more menacing. Grinning manically she began to inch them nearer to the vampire's mouth, while Higgy pinned his arms above his head, making it impossible for him to escape.  
  
"Red! Help me! Please help! RED!!!" Ignoring his pleas Cheryll carried on playing her guitar, tapping her foot along to the rhythm she had created.  
  
"Hush William. No more of that. You know you're not good enough to be a vampire. You shouldn't have fangs." Higgy smiled, as Amy got closer, making the vampire whimper and try to back away into the floor.  
  
Spike winced as he felt the metal come into contact with his right fang; the metal sent a cold shock to shoot from the tip to every part of his body. Trying to howl around the metal device he bucked as the girl pulled, making his mouth become filled with blood from the root where his fang was. Tears cascaded down his face as the extra sharp canine was ripped from the socket and blood gushed into his mouth.  
  
* * * * *  
  
He awoke with a start, panting for unneeded air and with a familiar taste in his mouth. He pushed himself away from the sofa he was lying face down on and forced himself to sit and calm down. Slowly the room came into focus and he noticed that someone else was next to him. Startled he fiercely pulled back and managed to fall off of the sofa and land with a bump onto the floor. He stood slowly and backed away into the table, keeping his eyes on the person.  
  
"Spike?" the person said. "It's okay, calm down. It's only me." he knew that voice. They were trying to help him weren't they? But then why... "Spike? Are you okay? What happened to your mouth?" His mouth. That was it. They were trying to get his other fang. That's why they were being nice, so they could pull out the other one, and make that one bleed as well.  
  
Growling, he inched towards the door trying to escape. The person froze to the spot, not knowing what to do. Not taking his eyes off of the person, should they attack him, he put his hand out and began feeling for the door handle.  
  
"Spike?" They spoke again. "It's okay. It's me. It's Cheryll. Red? Remember?" When the vampire shook his head and sank to his knees with tears threatening to spill over his eyes, she went to get the others. They came out of their rooms trying to get their eyes to adjust to the minuscule amount of moonlight coming through the curtains. "He just flipped out. He was calling for me in his sleep so I tried to wake him up. Then he wouldn't come near me."  
  
"Okay," Higgy began. "He's just having nightmares." She glanced at the sofa then back at the vampire. "And his fangs are bleeding, pretty badly. We need to clean up his mouth and get him settled before finding out what happened."  
  
Amy nodded and went to the kitchen to get the first aid kit. She came back out and tried to get to the whimpering vampire. "Shh, it's okay Spike." She held out a hand to the vampire, but he shied away, mumbling something about not being good enough. "We're not going to hurt you. Okay? We're going to clean you up, and stop it hurting."  
  
He peeped out from behind his arm and glanced at the girls before speaking in a hushed voice. "Was I bad? Are you gonna make me pay for not being good enough? Make me not a vampire anymore?" he looked at each girl in turn, the head movement making blood trickle from his mouth down to his chin. He made no move to wipe it away so Amy came closer and dabbed at it, causing Spike to snap his mouth shut and screw up his eyes.  
  
Higgy came closer and uncurled the vampire, holding his hand in hers; she hushed him and whispered soothing noises into his ear. Meanwhile, Cheryll was trying to wipe the blood out of the sofa covers and not really making much progress.  
  
Amy threw the bloodied rag into the bin and crouched next to the vampire. Higgy went to his other side and helped the other girl drag him over to the end of the sofa that Red wasn't working on. Amy got a glass of water and put it on a nearby table before sitting with the others. "Now, open your mouth and I'll have a look at those fangs for you."  
  
Spike simply kept his mouth shut and swallowed the blood that had gathered in his throat. 'If I keep my mouth shut' he thought 'then they wont be able to take my other fang, then I'll still be half a vampire. Wait...fangs? Surely she meant fang. They'd already taken one.'  
  
"Spike?"  
  
"You've already taken one." He whispered. Trying to open his mouth as least as possible, although more blood did drip down his chin again, only to be mopped up by Amy.  
  
"What do you mean Spike?"  
  
"You've already taken one." He repeated. "Please, I've been good, let me keep the other one."  
  
"Spike? We haven't taken anything. You still have two fangs. Open wide and feel for yourself." When the vampire did so and winced after touching both, Higgy sighed. "It's okay. You just had a nightmare."  
  
"Oh." He whispered and glanced at the floor. "I'm sorry to wake you. I thought...I dreamt that you'd ripped out my fang, because I was bad."  
  
"No Spike. That was in the dream. You still have two fangs, and are still a vampire." Amy added. "And still good." Handing him the glass of water she told him to go wash out his mouth.  
  
Coming back in from the bathroom. He looked puzzled to see Higgy was holding something. "Here." She handed it to him and received a disgusted look from the master vampire. Grinning she added, "Trust me, it helps get rid of the pain, and you'll be able to get some more sleep." She left and went back to her room, as did the other girls.  
  
Left on his newly clean sofa, Spike laid back down inspecting the object. He shrugged and placed it in his mouth. "Oh well," he spoke around it, "I'll try anything once." Within two minutes he was fast asleep with the dummy in-between his not so sore fangs. 


	11. I Don't Need You: Routine

I Don't Need You: Routine.  
  
It had been a whole month since Spike had started Sinco, and no more changes had begun yet. Spike's teeth were still sore, he had major nightmares that left him in tears, memories kept playing with his head and he still slept with a dummy to sooth the pain of his fangs.  
  
After getting round the initial shock and quick start to his unlife changing process Spike was back into the routine of helping out the scoobies with any rouge demons. Of course, Higgy, DL and Red all tagged along. Any extra help was always welcome when it came to killing demons.  
  
This particular Saturday, the vampire carer, her charge and her friends were all in the backroom of the magic shop. Higgy was helping to research a new demon for Giles and DL was training Red with the help of Spike. Surrounded by assorted books and scrolls, Higgy leaned back against the wall and watched as the new fight broke out.  
  
"You were supposed to block it!" DL moaned at Cheryll who was now pulling herself to her feet.  
  
"Well I didn't know that did I?" she yelled back. "Maybe if you're so great you should get up her and take on Sir Chips-a lot." she got to her feet, strode over and threw herself on the floor next to Higgy. Picking up a book she flicked to a random page and glared over the top at the other girl.  
  
"Fine, maybe I will!" Amy went over to where Cheryll had previously been and picked up the discarded battleaxe. "Right, Spike." She peered at the vampire who was rubbing his forehead where the pain of the chip had fired most. "Attack me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Attack me. God what are you deaf?"  
  
"No." he scowled. "But I don't want another pain in my head thank you very bloody much." Great Higgy rolled her eyes. Just what she needed a vampire mood swing into grouchy mode.  
  
Guys, maybe we should leave it for now and come back later?" she called to where the two were glaring daggers at each other. Picking up her book she dusted off her trousers and leaned back on the wall. "Well?"  
  
"Fine," Amy lowered her weapon. "Guess I'll have to kick his arse later, since the baby's chickened out."  
  
"I'm not a chicken!"  
  
"Liar!"  
  
"I'll take you on right here, right now."  
  
"Bring it on Blondie."  
  
With a growl from the vampire, a giggle from Red and a sigh from Higgy Spike attacked. He leapt at the girl and threw a barrage of punches towards her. Amy dodged everyone and came back with a punch of her own straight into Spike's chest, throwing him backwards slightly. Obviously stunned by the girl's strength he attacked again, albeit a little more carefully this time.  
  
Time after time he threw punch after punch and kicked a good few times, Amy simply swayed to and fro, dodging every attack and inflicting quite a few hits of her own. Every time Spike missed DL hit back with twice the power, never missing her foe. Finally getting frustrated the vampire threw all of his weight at the girl and would have managed to tackle her to the floor, as well as getting a splitting headache. However, before he could touch her DL faded from view and disappeared making the vampire go skidding across the floor and hit the potential in front of him.  
  
They both yelped and kept sliding along the floor till they hit the nearby wall, gaining a crunch and howl from Spike. Higgy quickly ran over to the pile and extracted the slayer in training. Looking her over she realised that she was no worse for wear. DL came over slowly from where she had appeared again and was looking at the vampire.  
  
"Sorry Spike. I didn't mean to fade like that. I just felt you coming and it was instinct. I'm really sorry, are you hurt?" she knelt beside the vamp and saw the cut on his head dripping with fresh blood.  
  
"I'm fine." He grinned and placed a hand over the wound.  
  
"Okay, are you finished now? You know you shouldn't train when your emotions are high, they just take over." Higgy came over and took her charge by the arm into the main shop. Pushing him onto a chair she went off to find the first aid kit.  
  
Cheryll came over to Spike grinning insanely. "What? Seeing me like this funny or something?" Spike asked while ruffling her hair. This girl had grown on him, they all had. Higgy, for her comforting words when he was down and her ability to act as if she had been through what he was now. Red, for her childlike innocence and enthusiasm. DL, for her strong personality and ability to take control of the most out of control situations.  
  
She giggled a little at his greeting and sat on the table facing him. Sure he sometimes treated her like a kid, but he did it in a cool way. "Can you teach me how you do that?"  
  
"Do what? Get my arse kicked by a girl? Sure happens all the time round here." He glanced at Higgy when he said this and grinned when she hit him playfully round the head.  
  
"That wasn't an arse kicking. That was an arse whooping." She cut a square of white cloth and placed it over the cut. Making Red hold it still she began taping it gently in place.  
  
"No." Cheryll giggled. "I mean that thing where you threw like fifty punches in a row. If that had hit anyone it would have knocked them out cold. Even Amy."  
  
Spike chuckled to himself. "I'll show you later. Higgy wont let us play till we've cooled down."  
  
"Okay." The girl skipped into the back room again and by the sounds of things, began dancing along to one of her CDs she'd brought from home. Busted by the sounds of things. Spike shook his head. Sure they may be British, but they had nothing on the bands he'd heard over the years.  
  
DL came over and handed him a mug of warm blood. Sitting next to him she pulled one of Higgy's books and began researching as well, with Spike casually peering over her shoulder to try and seem interested. Higgy was sitting on Spike's other side, doodling on a pad of paper about the demons they were looking up. In one corner was a sketch of three girls and a man, who had tiny fangs and a dummy in his mouth.  
  
Spike grinned at the picture and ran his tongue over his fangs. They hadn't bothered him when he was practising but now with the blood and thinking about it...  
  
"Higgy?"  
  
Humming a random tune she fished the dummy out of her pocket and handed it to the vampire without saying a word. Sometimes she could just tell. It must be something to do with being a Carer. Picking up an abandoned pencil Spike began doodling on a spare sheet of paper that had been floating around on the table. All three didn't even raise their heads when Buffy and Giles came in from the late night patrol. However, they did when there was a crash and a scream from the backroom.  
  
"Erm...Giles didn't like that chair did he?"  
  
"Oh dear Lord." Sighed the watcher as he hurried into the backroom to try and save his antique Royal Oak chair from the potential. 


	12. I Don't Need You: Fight

I Don't Need You: Fight  
  
Looking up from the corner of her eye, Higgy could see Red enter the room with a grin on her face and humming 'Fake' by Busted. She was twirling a pole like a baton around her wrist and didn't look the least bit sorry for wrecking the watcher's chair.  
  
"Watch out, the whirlwind of destruction's back." DL smirked at the poked out tongue she got in reply. "Love you too sweetie." Red scowled and threw herself onto DL's lap. Pulling out an old jaffa cake from her pocket she munched along to the tune in her head.  
  
"So have we got anything?" Buffy asked the three girls and vampire.  
  
"We've got a great little doodle from Higgy, the beginning of a story from DL and a little cartoon from Spike." Red grinned and licked the chocolate from her lips.  
  
"Anything useful? About the demon?" Buffy asked again. She sighed when everyone shook their heads. "Great. All we do know is that it's strong and powerful. Not a lot to go on."  
  
"I agree it's not a great amount of knowledge. However, we could still find something in some of the other volumes I have in the back." Giles came in from the backroom holding the splinters of his chair and brushed them into the bin. "Don't all groan. We will have more help in the morning. Until then I suggest you all get some rest. I'll keep researching at home."  
  
"Great, more research." Spike spoke from around the dummy still between his lips. Grabbing his cartoon he pulled on his duster and waited for the girls. "I'm only here for the violence."  
  
"In for a penny in for a pound." Higgy smiled. Also pulling on her coat she threw Red and Dl their jackets and headed for the door.  
  
No one could have foreseen what happened next.  
  
Glass smashing, tables splintering, desks breaking. The door was thrown from its hinges and slid across the room. Higgy staggered backwards from the force and knocked into Red.  
  
Flickering slightly and trying to stay in focus, DL peered through the remains of the windows and saw what had caused the disturbance. Five huge demons were snarling outside drool slipping from their mouths onto the floor. Spitting the dummy from his mouth, Spike took up his ready position and prepared to fight. Behind him, Dl was helping up Red and Higgy. Giles went to the weapons cabinet and pulled out a few life saving tools.  
  
DL caught the sword and handed it to Red. Higgy grabbed the pole Red had been twirling before and readied herself for battle. While the first of the demons advanced. DL took two blades from Giles and prepared for the bloodshed. Grinning she advanced on the demon and bowed low. "Welcome to the magic shop." She took the demon's growl as a start signal and began barraging the creature with slashes from her blades.  
  
With the battle beginning, the remaining four demons rushed in and began wrecking everything in sight. Buffy met one head on and used her slayer strength to take it back a pace or two.  
  
Spike had thrown himself into the centre of the fight and was taking on two demons. Vamping out he attempted to bite the creatures as he was weapon less, however he soon gave up on this idea when he realised how awful the tasted. "Yuck." He spat. "You buggers taste bloody awful. Like charcoal." Growling again, he threw himself at one of the demons and was flipped onto his back in no time.  
  
With a cry and yell from Higgy and Red, they ran to attack another of the creatures. Spinning the pole in front of her, Higgy used it to ward them demon off for a while, until it grabbed the pole from her and snapped it in half. Red then came forward trying to cut off the demon's head with her sword. It merely caught the steel in its claws and bent it to a right angle. "Not good." She said as she was thrown backwards into the wall.  
  
Giles had joined Buffy and they were having no more luck. Their demon had managed to get rid of their weapons and was now batting away each of Buffy's blows as if they were nothing.  
  
Suddenly, an ear splitting cry broke through the carnage and the demons backed off. They headed back towards the entrance they had made and leapt through the window. More cries joined with the first as they ran away. Covering her ears from the noise, Higgy extracted herself from the potential she was underneath.  
  
"Red?" she winced as she stood up. Shaking herself slightly she was relieved to hear the other girl answer.  
  
"I'm fine Higgy. I'll need a shower, but I'll be fine." Standing up, Cheryll shook her head and let bits of glass from the windows shower the floor. "Buffy? Giles?" she asked the still standing people she could see. "How are you?"  
  
"Nothing broken." The Brit replied.  
  
"Fine. Slayer healing abilities, I'll be right as rain tomorrow."  
  
Higgy nodded and went over the others. "Well. That's good. Everyone's fine. Right Red? Red?" turning slowly she saw the girl staring at the smashed windows. "What is it?"  
  
Facing the Carer, Cheryll spoke with no emotion in her voice. "Where are DL and Spike?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
YAY! 12th chapter up. Finally. Thank you to my reviewers, we finally have a plot! And I have no idea how it's going to go. Any pointers would be MUCH MUCH MUCH appreciated, as I am not sure how to end this fic. If anyone wants an appearance there will be a chance, just get your reviews in quick. Thank you guys. And I will be updating soon.  
  
Luv Higgy. 


	13. I Don't Need You: Trapped

I Don't Need You: Trapped.  
  
Groaning slightly, DL lifted her head from the floor. Wishing she hadn't she tried to ignore the iron bars surrounding her. She sat with her back against the only wall and tried to figure out what had happened. Demons. That was it. There has been a fight and that demon must have knocked her out and taken her.  
  
Looking round, she wondered where they had brought her. She was surrounded by three walls of bars and one wall, which, she discovered, was very solid. Rubbing the toes she had bruised while kicking the wall, she looked round her prison to see if there was anything else. A bucket.  
  
Shuddering, she vowed to escape before she sank that low. Okay, now to escape. Hitting the bars, she realised they were going to hold no matter how hard she hit them. Obviously, these demons were trying to hold her here. And by the looks of things, it wasn't for very long.  
  
Making its way down the corridor was a demon. As it drew nearer she grinned, it had a few cuts and scars from her blades in the fight. It stopped outside her cell and peered through the bars. She watched as it looked her over and she made sure to give it a twirl on the spot for entertainment.  
  
Obviously, the demon didn't find it funny. It growled at her and tried to reach her through the bars. Smiling, she turned towards it and put on her most innocent voice. "Excuse me sir, I seem to have lost my key. Could you get me a spare so I can escape?" her smile faded when the demon seemed to laugh. Well it was shaking and looked like it found it funny, but it wasn't laughing.  
  
"What's so funny?" came a voice from the corridor. Looking out of her cage, DL saw another demon. However, this one looked different. It was wearing what seemed to be a purple collar and only had one horns instead of two. It glared at the other demon that went immediately to its knees.  
  
"Wow. Guess you're the boss huh? Could you get me a key?"  
  
"Silence mortal. We do not need you words. Only your body, it is important for our ritual." Chuckling slightly the demon leader signalled to the other. Obediently it got up from its knees and went towards the door. Bending down, it placed the point of one of its horns in the lock and turned it sharply, it opened with a click.  
  
Watching the door swing open DL looked impressed. "Now that's a good trick. Never need a locksmith." Looking at the leader she smirked. "Is that how you lost yours? Got it caught in a door?" the first demon growled and launched itself at the girl. Without moving a muscle she faded from solid form to an apparition, letting the demon pass through her and into the cage. Becoming solid again, she kicked the door shut and turned to face the leader.  
  
He seemed amazed at the girl and turned sharply to the demon now trying to get out of the cage. "I told you to get the slayer! What is she?" now pointing at DL he looked shocked to see her walking off down the corridor. "You will not escape mortal! We have the vampire. You cannot stop us."  
  
Turning back with a cocky grin now in place, she answered, "What makes you think I'm mortal?" fading again swiftly, she managed to avoid getting tackled by two other demons, which crashed into each other. "God I love my ancestors...anyway. Demon boy, what do you mean, 'you have the vampire'?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
He screamed. It was all he could do. He had begun crying over an hour ago and now he couldn't stop himself from screaming at the pain. Ever since he had woken up from that terrible nightmare he wished he hadn't. This was so much worse.  
  
He was trying to breathe, despite not having to. It had always been a comfort when he was younger and he still thought that somehow it might help. Taking deep hitching breaths as he sobbed he tried to look at his captors but he couldn't bare to look at them. They were laughing.  
  
Laughing at his pain, his fear, his tears and even worse, his pleads. He had tried being cocky at first but that had only made them start sooner. After that he had tried to threaten them, they had only laughed and found more tools to use. Blood was dripping down the wall he was on to the floor. Where had it all come from? He wondered. Surely one person couldn't have that much.  
  
They soon made him forget to care as they cut him again. He didn't understand why they were doing this. He was used to pain but not like this. Pinned to the wall by metre long stakes, one through each wrist, ankle and his stomach. Unable to move even the slightest bit he had felt hopeless. One of them had found a knife and was playing with it against his chest, drawing pretty pictures deep into his flesh.  
  
They kept asking him questions to which he didn't know the answer. Questions about some afterlife and purity and did he think he was truly good enough to deserve this? Deserve it? Why should anyone deserve this? The salt from his tears slid onto his chest and aggravated his wounds more, causing him to cry more. "Please," he whispered hoarsely to the nearest demon, "Why?"  
  
It had merely cackled and pushed in the stake through his stomach more. Breathing deeper he let his head fall onto his chest. "Sinco." He heard the word and listened intently. "Carer...doesn't think you're good enough vampire." Lifting his head slightly, he met the eyes of a one horned demon wearing a purple collar. "You're so young. Barely of age. But we saw her looking after you and found you so beautiful we couldn't resist." Spike flinched as a clawed hand reached out and caressed his face. "So beautiful, a work of art. So why did your Carer leave you so?"  
  
Sniffing slightly he winched as he heard the words. "She didn't." he told the demon. "She was protecting me. Helping me. Higgy would never..."  
  
"But she did, vampire. She did. Look at yourself. You've been here for at least half a day, maybe more and no one even cares. Would your precious Carer abandon one she loved so easily? Personally I'm not surprised. Look at you. Not loved by anyone. No family, no friends I'm shocked you made it to this age mongrel."  
  
"I...I..." he gasped. "I do have...friends...they're looking for me...I know they are..." tears slipped down his cheeks as he tried to convince himself.  
  
"Really?" the demon chortled. "Because my spies have been watching your 'friends' all day and they haven't even batted an eyelid. Not one had even left that shop. So no friends vampire."  
  
Closing his eyes and swallowing, Spike tried to shut out the words. But he knew them to be true. They would have found him by now. Maybe they really didn't care. No friends. It was true. He didn't have a choice. He couldn't stay down here any longer, and his friends weren't going to help him. There was nothing left for it. Taking a deep breath he prepared himself for the pain it was going to cause. Shaking slightly he paused. Then before the demons knew what he was doing, he let out a cry so loud and long that the demons had to cover their eyes.  
  
A few minutes later he had finished and they were back to torture. Praying to any god that would listen he waited and felt the pain take him again.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In the Hyperion hotel, L.A. Angel woke up with a start.  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
Dun dun dun!!! What will happen next? I don't actually know...but you'll find out when I post the next chapter. Sorry to torture Spike so much, but he looks so cute when he's all insane and hurt, I couldn't resist.  
  
Note from Max, Higgy's beta: hey guys. Higgy will probably kill me for doing this, but pester her to put up 'Care' it is brilliant and she refuses to put it up. *Scowls* anyway, you have to keep bothering her and she'll put it up. It's insane Spike finally getting some help. Please do this for me!  
  
Higgy: Max! Get the hell off of my fic!!! *Beats Max with raw salmon* 


	14. I Don't Need You: Fear

I Don't Need You: Fear.  
  
"Higgy? Where's DL and Spike?" Red turned and looked deep into the Carer's eyes. "Where are they? Higgy? Higgy?" Red grabbed her friend by her shoulders and shook her forcefully. "Higgy? Where are they?"  
  
Higgy couldn't speak. She tried, but the words got caught in her throat. Looking into Red's eyes she couldn't see any hope, nothing but fear. She didn't know where they were. Why should she?  
  
Releasing Higgy, Red spun round and went to the back room of the shop. Looking round frantically she called for first DL then Spike. When she got no answer she hit the wall. She continued pounding away with her fists as if it would bring them back. She stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"DL?" she whispered and turned around quickly, only to find herself facing the current slayer. Averting her gaze to her red knuckles she tried to hide her emotions. "Sorry." She continued. "I thought you were..." she was cut off when Buffy pulled her into a hug.  
  
Not knowing what else to do she buried her face into the other girl's shoulder. She tried to hold back the tears, but couldn't. She cried softly into Buffy's top and tried to calm herself down. Buffy was rubbing her back and telling her that everything would be okay.  
  
"How?" she managed between sobs. "How will everything be okay? We've lost DL and Spike. DL. She's the vessel of the spirits. If anything happened to her..." she couldn't finish. Sobbing hysterically she pulled away from Buffy and went back to the main shop with tears flowing down her cheeks.  
  
Higgy was sitting at the table. Books in front of her and a notepad open to her side with doodles on it. She was biting her lip and a frown was creasing her brow in concentration. Red came in and stood by her. Without even looking at the girl, Higgy pushed her chair back and let the potential sit on her lap. She placed an arm around the girl's shoulders and the other one flicked through pages in the book. "Calm down." She whispered to the other girl.  
  
"But DL..."  
  
"I know."  
  
"The spirits..."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Then why are you..."  
  
"There's no use panicking yet. If something had happened to DL then we would have been notified. Do you really think that the spirits would have given DL her powers if she wasn't worthy?"  
  
Red sniffed and looked at the book Higgy was still gazing at. "I guess not." She muttered and grabbed a book off the nearby pile. "She can look after herself can't she?"  
  
"Have you ever seen her with a scratch after a battle?"  
  
Red shook her head. "She's the lucky one." She mumbled and began looking at the other book. Intent on finding the demons that had attacked the shop.  
  
"What?" Giles had been listening and had no idea what the girls were going on about. "What's all this about spirits and DL?" Red looked at Higgy. Should they tell?  
  
Higgy sighed and looked at her friend. "I think they deserve to know Red. They've known us for a month now, and I think we can trust them." Turning to the confused watcher and his slayer who had joined them she began the explanation. "DL is an ancestor of the spirits. She was the one deemed worthy by them over 300 years ago. You see. Long ago these spirits had a lot of power. It was too much for one person to hold without being corrupted, so they decided to split it into five parts. DL was chosen to be a vessel and was given her power. She had been trained to protect it and is a source of a lot of power. Luckily she can fade in and out to get rid of attackers and can fight like the devil in a fight, as you've seen."  
  
"She's over 300 years old?" Giles was astonished as usual. "How is that possible? She looks barely older than you."  
  
"She looks good for her age. But she still has to perfect her powers, she can't quite fade completely yet." Higgy went back to her book and began frantically reading for the demon.  
  
"So when she was about 50 years old, she met Angelus and Darla in England." Red continued. "Although they never really became friends, they knew each other and she would help them out from time to time, and they would help her in return. She was there for Spike's siring and used to watch over him when Angelus was away. Of course, Spike never knew and Angelus didn't tell anyone in case they found out about her secret. He knew she was powerful and had a higher purpose."  
  
"Wait, Angel knew Amy?" Buffy was shocked. "She never said."  
  
"You never asked. Plus she met him again when Higgy was caring for him after he left here. You see, DL knew so much about the Aurelius bloodline that she came to help Higgy. Then they found out I was a potential and I came along too." She grinned and went back to her book. "So now we just have to find her and Spike..."  
  
She was cut off by a very loud, "Ah ha!" from Higgy. "And I don't think I would be wrong to say eureka either."  
  
"Red immediately turned her head to the book in front of her and Higgy. "You found it?"  
  
"Indeed. Chimera Demon. Pray to the ancient female beast of chimera. However, instead of being invulnerable to fire as their god, flames are the only thing that can destroy the beast."  
  
"Great." Buffy began. "We have a demon and how to destroy it. Now what do they want with Spike and Amy?"  
  
"Erm...there's a ritual, as usual. They need the power of a spirit, DL and the blood of a vampire."  
  
"But why Spike exactly? This is the hell mouth, there's more than one vampire and they're a lot less protected than he was." Giles had joined Buffy and was looking at the text over the blonde's shoulder.  
  
"He's going through Sinco. He's no threat to them. In his slightly weakened state his fangs were too sensitive when he bit them and he said they tasted like charcoal. When his fangs felt their skin it must have made him hesitate for a second, giving them enough time to get him and DL and get out."  
  
Walking over to the desk Buffy picked up the phone and dialled Xander's number. "If we're going to take them all out we're going to need backup. I'll get Xander, Willow, Tara and Anya over here. We can take on these demons."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Xander loaded his crossbow and put two more bolts in his back pocket. "I hope this is worth saving dead boy junior." He sighed.  
  
"Spike's done a lot for us Xander. And DL's been captured too." Willow tried to reason with her best friend. "Besides, there's a ritual and last time we had one of those, we almost lost the world. So I think that's a good enough reason."  
  
Anya just kissed her boyfriend and whispered something in his ear that made him blush. Deciding not to get involved, Higgy just pulled a sword from the weapons chest and swung it around to get the balance correct.  
  
Tara and Willow had done a location spell and had pinpointed the exact location of the demon. Tara was now holding the slightly charred map with her and was planning the shortest route there. Red was standing around impatiently twirling a stake around her finger. "Can we go now?" she asked for the seventh time in five minutes.  
  
"Yes." Buffy gave the answer the girl was waiting for and pulled open the magic shop door, only to find someone there waiting.  
  
Holding out a black leather coat in front of her, with tears rolling down her cheeks DL could only whisper, "It's all I could find."  
  
Okay guys what did you think? If you still have any questions about DL and her past then just ask and I'll explain. This fic is set in the first half of series five but after Riley has gone coz I really didn't like that guy. Tara had finally made an appearance after my wonderful reviewer pointed it out that she seemed to have disappeared. (Thanks for that) I know there was no Spike in that chapter but just in case you were wondering if he was dead...well you'll have to wait and see. *Laughs evilly* god I love cliff- hangers...*wanders off in search of something shiny mumbling to self* 


	15. I Don't Need You: Reactions

I Don't Need You: Reactions.  
  
Half an hour had passed. It had taken thirty minutes to calm Higgy and Cheryll down. After seeing DL with Spike's coat Higgy had refused to believe it. Tears had streamed down her face but her features had remained impassive. Cheryll on the other hand had burst into tears again and had to be almost hugged to death by Amy as she was brought in. Higgy refused to be consoled and had only gone back into the shop to cram more weapons into her outfit.  
  
Geared up with daggers, crossbows, swords, stakes and a couple of maces, they had finally left the shop. Giles took half of the group in his car and Xander the other girls. Throughout it all Higgy stayed silent.  
  
DL could do nothing to help her. She had failed. She had promised Higgy that while she was around, nothing would harm her vampires. She had sworn with a blood oath, and now...now Spike was gone. Dead. She hadn't protected him. When she got to his cell, all that was left was a huge patch of blood and a pair of empty, broken chains attached to the wall. Higgy had been calm previously because she knew DL was there, protecting him, but when she turned up...Spike was lost.  
  
They pulled up to the curb a few minutes later. Stake in hand, Cheryll clutched it nervously waiting behind DL for the way in. she followed as the taller girl as she went to a doorway and stepped over the previously defeated guards. Higgy was behind her, silently gripping her sword, ready to kill, maim and torture the things that had destroyed her vampire.  
  
The scoobies all followed in line, ready for attack. Unlike the three girls, they were all holding their weapons defensively, while the others merely held them as if they were toys. There was so much blood in the hallways. It covered the walls, the floor, the ceiling, even the air surrounding them smelt of blood.  
  
"Wow." Xander whispered, afraid of destroying the silence that echoed around them. "Remind me never to get on DL's bad side. I may not live to tell the tale."  
  
"I didn't do this." DL stated as if it were obvious. "I killed those I needed to. This is carnage. Revenge. Someone else did this. Someone else had been here. Someone who didn't want these guys alive." Bending down she dipped a finger in the blood and felt it. "Cold." She frowned. "I only killed them barely an hour ago. It should still be a little warm." Standing up she carried on down the hallways. "I went another way from this. Whoever was here could have been here when I was."  
  
"They could be anywhere by now..." Red whispered. "You don't think it could have been..."  
  
"It wasn't Spike." Higgy spoke evenly. "He didn't have enough strength to take them on. You saw him in the magic shop. Whoever did this had a reason. We have to find it. So I can find them."  
  
"Why?" Willow asked cautiously, not sure how to act around the obviously distressed Carer.  
  
"So she can thank them I guess. For destroying these monstrosities..." Giles began until Higgy answered, no tone in her voice.  
  
"So I can kill them for taking my revenge." Turning around she headed back outside the way they came. "I'm going to wait in the car. I don't want to see where I failed him."  
  
"We'll be back soon Higgs." DL called after her. "What are you going to do?"  
  
"I have to call Max."  
  
* * * * *  
  
It was an understatement to say that Wesley was relieved when Angel returned. When the vampire had left in such a hurry, the only words that came out of his mouth when he ran past was, "Got to go to Sunnydale. Save Childe. Back by tomorrow." And he was gone.  
  
It was merely seconds before tomorrow, or rather today, when he burst through the doors of the offices with something in his arms. "Angel, thank god you're back. What happened?"  
  
"Get some blood and bandages. Bring them to me downstairs in a few minutes. Don't ask questions until I say so." Wesley stood stock still for a few seconds until what had been asked registered. Busily retreating to the fridge and medical supply unit he found the supplies.  
  
Angel had already gone downstairs with his load immediately after giving the orders. Using the lift, Wesley went down to his boss' apartment. "Angel?" he called when he reached the floor. Not able to predict the vampire's mood, he tried to seem as normal as possible. "I have the blood and bandages."  
  
"Bring them to the bedroom and I might need some help with this." Following the voice he knew so well, Wesley gasped when he saw what Angel had been carrying. Lying on the bed covered in bruises, blood, and scars new and old was William the Bloody.  
  
I know this one's short but hey I wanted it short. Plus, I'm so sick of everyone at school begging me to write more. So I did and this is it. Anyway, any more reviews would be great. Not just ones that say "wow rite more" and no more "It needs more me!" (Not mentioning any names...RED!" yes so, review please and make it good. Oh also, this will be the last post for a week because Red is stealing me and taking me to the Isle of Wight. We be off to terrorise the Wighties! Now must go, have many gifts to get prepared for, as 2moz is my birthday! yay! Okay bye bye for now! *Mwah! * 


	16. I Don't Need You: Revelations

I Don't Need You: Revelations.  
  
The car was not the most interesting place to make a phone call from, Higgy discovered. Sure the leather seats were comfy, the radio was on and the windows prevented anyone from sneaking up and killing you, but it didn't have the ability to make you feel better. There were no reassuring hugs and words from the car and it was driving her insane.  
  
Five years. Five long years. That's how long she had been a carer. That's how long she had been on the move to help demons that she barely knew. DL had joined her about a month into the job after discovering her secret, which wasn't hard. Not really. Considering that Higgy had only been fourteen when she had realised her true potential and still at school. Trying to hide sleep deprivation and numerous scars from your friends was not easy at S.L.a.G.S.  
  
Red had inherited her slayer strength a few weeks later and they had all made a pact not to tell anyone of their true natures. Soon, they were all living together in DL's mansion that had been given to her for protection by the spirits. It was happy families for a while. DL had her horse, Red her dog Farley and Higgy her adopted white tiger cub Zeko.  
  
But now was not the time to dwell on the past. She sighed and wiped at her slowly watering eyes. Spike was gone. Dead. Dust. Never to walk upon this earth again. Letting out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding, Higgy pulled out her phone and dialled the number of Max. She pressed the call button and waited.  
  
"Hello this is Pepsi Max here. How can I help?" Higgy smiled. She sounded so proper. So used to this. Sniffing slightly she wiped at the tears that had managed to fall down her face.  
  
"Pepsi?" she whispered. "It's Higgy."  
  
"Higgy! Hey dude. I haven't heard from you in ages. Have you finished with Spike already? Want me to make a date for the check up?" the chirpy voice only made Higgy cry harder and she threw the phone into the back seat of the car.  
  
Sobbing hysterically she curled up on the front seat and clutched at Spike's duster she had brought with her. Why did this always happen to her? Spike was gone. She had to get a new charge without even saying goodbye to her old one. It wasn't fair. She didn't even know what Spike had been through. How much pain had been caused to him.  
  
Now she had to get Pepsi to give her a new charge. They'd have to move again. She couldn't stand it. Why was Spike's death having such an impact on her? He'd only been with her a month. Why was it that she couldn't accept his death?  
  
* * * * * DL led the rest through to where they had held Spike. All that was left was empty chains and a patch of blood. Red had wandered forward and was walking around the edge of the room. She held a stake in hand and was twirling it round her fingers waiting for something to pummel. Luckily, she found it first. If DL had she would have dragged the demon outside and held it still while Higgy beat it to death.  
  
Holding her stake out she approached the crumpled demon. It was on the floor surrounded by dust, one horn on its head and a purple collar around its neck. It looked up and growled at the girl. "Slayer." It hissed.  
  
"Not quite." Red replied, keeping her distance. "But close enough." She walked in front of the demon and pressed the point of the stake gently into her hand. "Where's Spike?" she whispered. "He can't be dead. I refuse to accept it."  
  
The demon merely chuckled and coughed. "Spike? Your vampire?" he coughed again and Red watched patiently. "He's gone."  
  
"Gone where? He's not dead. You wouldn't do that. You needed his blood." She smiled when the demon looked up and tried to pull away from the wall. It fell back down and she saw why. Chains had been passed through its chest and into the wall with metal pins. There was no way the demon was going anywhere.  
  
"Well done little girl, I'm impressed. No we didn't kill the vampire. Just drained him dryer than the Sahara. It would have been stupid to kill him; vampires are great fun to torture you know they won't die unless you let them. You have complete control. And this vampire was the weakest creature I've ever laid eyes on."  
  
Through gritted teeth she asked the next question, barely able to control herself from killing the demon. "Where is he? If you didn't kill him then what happened?" she was waiting for her answer when Xander came over.  
  
"Red? What have you...Oh." He eyed the demon with disgust. "You know. I didn't like Spike. But what you did was horrible. Even Spike didn't deserve it. You sick bastard."  
  
"Xander." Red hushed him and looked at the demon again. Going forward she pinned him to the wall by his neck. "Listen to me. I am a slayer in training. You can't escape. I want to know where my friend is." Pulling on one of the chains through his chest, she smiled when it gasped in pain.  
  
"I...I...don't know..." it gasped. Coughing against her hand it turned its eyes to the girl. "It took the vampire and killed the others...he...he told me I had to suffer..." coughing again he slumped against the wall and Red released him to let him finish. "Told me I had to see my children die...yet not die myself. I would starve and yet still not die if I was not incinerated. He left with your vampire still alive."  
  
By now Willow, Tara and Anya had joined the other two and were looking at the demon for an answer. "Who?" the potential asked patience wearing thin now.  
  
"Someone we thought would be of no threat." When Xander got a lighter from his pocket and flipped it open, the demon rushed its answer. "His Sire. The one they call Angelus."  
  
"Thank you. You have been most helpful." DL walked over and snatched the lighter from Xander's hand. She threw it at the demon and watched with a smile on her face as it erupted into flames and burn into a pile of ashes. "Now burn in hell."  
  
Ta da! You like you review. You don't like...review anyway! Yeah, don't worry. Next chapter, I swear Spikey goodness. Luv Higgy. 


	17. I Don't Need You: Happenings

I Don't Need You: Happenings.  
  
DL led them all back outside to the cars quickly. She needed to tell Higgy what had happened before taking her to retrieve her charge from L.A. Red had already run ahead and she was hoping that Higgy would already be waiting for her.  
  
Red couldn't believe it. Spike was alive. Well, not alive...but not dead either. Well okay he was dead but he wasn't dust. He was still in existence she reasoned with herself. He's still on this earth and we have to find him. Never kill a defenceless creature, that was what Higgy had always told her. And any vampire in Sinco was defiantly at the top of that list.  
  
She ran to the car and pulled the door open fast. "Higgy!" she squeaked when she saw what a state the other girl was in. "Higgs?" she got in the seat next to the Carer and put an arm around the still sobbing girl. "Higgy? Stop crying. I've got good news. You have to listen. Spike's..."  
  
"What? What news could possibly cheer me up? I've got to get a new charge and I didn't even get to say goodbye to my old one. It's just not fair!" she cried into her friend's arms. "Why does this always happen to me? Why Red? What have I ever done?"  
  
"Higgy! Spike's not dust!" there was a pause as Higgy looked up.  
  
"Red." She managed through gritted teeth. "Don't play games with me. I don't care if you're human or my friend. I will hurt you if you piss around with my head."  
  
Red shrunk back a bit before remembering what she was saying. "Higgs! Would I lie to you? He's not dead! He's not dead! He's not dead! I swear! It's Angel. He took him. He...he came and found him somehow...I don't know how. But Spike's safe. In L.A. with Angel!" she was now shaking Higgy by the shoulders and looked as if she was going to burst with happiness.  
  
Higgy just stared at the potential. Her face was blank of emotion before she suddenly stood up screaming with joy and hit her head on the car roof. She quickly evacuated the car and began yelling to the sky. "He's in L.A.!!! He's not dust!!! I don't have to get a new charge!!!" she was so caught up in her screaming she didn't notice the others come back to the car all giving her a weird look. Except for DL.  
  
"Happy?" she grinned when Higgy just hugged her with a huge smile on her face. "I'll take that as a yes then shall I?"  
  
"Oh my God. Oh my God. I have to call Angel. I have to see if he's okay. I have to...to sit down before I pass out with joy." She sat on the hood of the car and took a few deep breaths.  
  
"So we're going to L.A.?" Red asked from the front of the car. "Because if we are then I need to go get my straighteners." From the looks the Scooby gang gave her she shrugged. "What? You think I'm going all that way with frizzy hair? Not likely."  
  
"Alright. Here's the plan." Higgy said from the bonnet of the car she was still on. "We're going to go home. Get essentials packed and in DL's car. You guys get that done while I call Angel. Then we're going to L.A."  
  
DL grinned again and pulled Higgy off the car. "I'm driving?"  
  
"DL! You're the only one with a god damn car."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Wesley had never seen Angel like this before. His hair was standing up straight from the amount of times he had run his hand through it and he was breathing. Angel barely ever breathed. Darla had beaten it into Angelus' skull (literally) that breathing was a human weakness and since then, the vampire rarely breathed. But now he was. Deep breaths, that did nothing to vent the obvious stress running through him.  
  
"He's not feeding." The vampire muttered while pacing the floor by his bed. "He's not feeding Wes. Why's he not feeding?" Spike was still unconscious on Angel's bed and didn't look any better then when Angel had first put him there. The older vampire had pierced a blood bag and held it to his lips several times in hope that his childe would drink. However, each time he did, Spike would whimper and pull away unconsciously, completely avoiding the blood.  
  
Wesley sighed from the chair he was sitting in before replying. "I don't know Angel. Maybe he's not hungry?" he shrunk back into his chair when Angel glowered at him.  
  
"Look at him." He gestured to the extremely thin Spike with bandages covering his body. "Tell me he doesn't need to feed. By the looks of things, he hasn't fed for days. And even then, not very well." He sat on the edge of the bed and clenched his hands together while looking at them, as if they would hold the answers. "I don't know what to do. I've tried everything. I've washed and bandaged him. I've tried waking him, but he seems too under fed to wake up. And I can't feed him. Wesley? What do I do?"  
  
Wesley watched the vampire go to pieces in front of his eyes. He was truly lost. He had never seen Angel like this. He never thought Angel could ever care so much about someone. Of course he cared for Cordelia and himself but this was different. This was Spike, a master vampire who had killed hundreds of innocent people. This was family. "What would Angelus do?" he whispered, not actually meaning to ask the question out loud.  
  
"Angelus?" Angel looked at the man before standing up abruptly. "That's it!" he took a bag of blood and ripped into it. Draining it in a matter of seconds. "I have to do what Angelus would." He sat fully on the bed next to Spike and undid his shirt with one hand while supporting Spike's head with the other.  
  
Wesley watched in amazement that Angel would do such a thing. The vampire used a nail to scratch his chest and make it bleed. Using a finger, he drew it across the line of crimson and caught a few drops of blood on it. Still holding Spike's head, he brought the finger across his Childe's lips and left some red on them. Wesley watched as Spike's tongue licked at the blood unconsciously. Angel smiled and rested the tip of his finger on Spike's lips. When Spike licked at that too he gently pushed it into his childe's mouth as he began sucking at the blood.  
  
Wesley swore Angel murmured something like "Good boy." When Spike did this and pulled out his finger. Spike had whimpered again and begun following the finger in hope of more blood. Angel drew him closer and reopened the cut on his chest. Supporting Spike's head he put his lips to his chest and waited to see if he reacted. Wesley was shocked when Spike began licking at the wound before latching on and suckling fully. Wesley wasn't sure if Angel was aware, but he had begun rocking back and forth with Spike in his arms as if he was a baby. Wanting to leave the vampire's in their memories, he left silently and made his way back upstairs to make notes on what he had just seen.  
  
Just then, Spike's eyes fluttered open.  
  
Wow. Didn't expect to write that much in the Angel section. But I got so carried away in the Spike/Angel cuteness. Don't worry, this is NOT going to be Spangel but there will be more cuteness, as I can't seem to stop writing it at the moment. Sorry. Oh this chapter is dedicated to Culf who has been craving Spike for a while. Thank you reviewers keep on reviewing please. 


	18. I Don't Need You: 1882

I Don't Need You: 1882  
  
He ran. Could you blame him? You try being chased by six Caitiffs when you're only two years old and see if you stop running. He had been running for two hours now and he had been panting for unneeded air for the last twenty minutes of it. He was so ashamed. The Caitiffs weren't panting. They weren't even breathing. He was so weak, vampires don't breathe. His sire had told him that enough times and yet, he still couldn't stop himself.  
  
He didn't know why they were chasing him, but whatever the reason they didn't look like they were going to stop until they caught him. So it didn't seem like a good idea to stop running until forced to by either them, or the sunlight.  
  
What had he done to annoy them? He wondered. He had just been hunting with some minions because Angelus didn't want to go out. He had promised. Oh God he had promised to be home by two o'clock, well before sunrise so his sire wouldn't have to worry. And if he wasn't mistaken, which he wished he was, Big Ben had just struck four. This did not look good.  
  
He stumbled and was on the floor in seconds. They surrounded him and growled at the fledgling on the floor. William didn't move. Maybe if he played dead they would leave him alone. He couldn't fight them; they were at least ten and had staked all the minions he had been with. He didn't stand a chance. Closing his eyes he wished Angelus was there to save him.  
  
Angelus was pacing the lounge and stealing quick glances at the clock. It was ten past two. William had promised to be back by two. Promised. He growled and resumed pacing. Darla and Dru were watching him intently.  
  
Drusilla was coddling Miss Edith in her arms and hushing her gently. Darla was watching he childe with interest. "Angelus?" she waited for him to look at her before continuing. "Do stop pacing so, you are making me rather dizzy." He continued and she sighed. "You are worried about the boy aren't you?" When he didn't reply she growled and stood abruptly. "No more!" she spoke directly to him and stamped her foot in a miniature temper tantrum.  
  
"Oh Miss Edith do be quiet. You shall disturb the birds and they shall fly away. We wouldn't want that would we?" Drusilla watched her Sire pace again and giggled like the schoolgirl that she was in her head. "It's not going to be quiet much longer though..." she whispered and curled her legs beneath her on the sofa.  
  
"Angelus, enough. I am sick of you coddling that boy of yours. You're as bad as Drusilla with her dolls. You show him too much attention and he is not worthy of it. I am surprised he has lasted a year, if it were not for you being so caring," She spat the word, "He would be out of our hair."  
  
Darla was surprised when she turned to find that Angelus was gone. Drusilla was giggling and whispering in Miss Edith's porcelain ear. She made a frustrated sigh and stormed off to her room, angry at her childe's reaction to the truth. Next time she would have to try harder and make sure the runt was disposed of.  
  
William bit back a cry as the Caitiff kicked him in the stomach, winding him of unneeded air again. He had tried threatening, pleading, begging but nothing had worked, and the Caitiffs were determined to break him. He gasped as one of them pulled his head back by his hair.  
  
"Well aren't you just so sweet?" he whispered in his ear. "Tell us how old you are boy." He pulled William's hair tighter and his neck was aching with the effort of keeping it there.  
  
William grimaced as the Caitiff caressed his face gently. "T...two..." he sobbed and whimpered when his face was pushed into the dirt beneath him.  
  
"Aw, isn't that sweet?"  
  
"He's just a baby."  
  
"Cootchie coo." One of them kneeled beside him and tickled his chin, making him curl up to avoid the unwanted contact. "Aw, the baby doesn't want to play." The Caitiff laughed and kicked him once again.  
  
"We should teach baby a lesson. A lesson he wont forget." William shuddered and curled up tighter. Now sobbing hysterically he was the most scared he had ever been in his life or unlife. He knew what the Caitiffs were going to do, Angelus had told him how jealous they were of bloodline vampires who had Sires to care for them and they did all they could to make Childe unwanted by their Sires, even if it meant raping them.  
  
He cried into the dirt beneath him as he felt their hands on his back making their way down to his trousers. Amidst their scrabbling and laughing he listened for the faint hope that his sire would be looking for him. In the distance he heard a faint howl, like that of a dogs, but longer and sounding more desperate.  
  
He tried to lift his head from the floor, but was pushed back into the dirt by one of the Caitiffs who also held down his arms and legs. He could feel one of the Caitiffs laugh and press against his back; he shuddered and whimpered at what he felt pressed against the small of his back. Wriggling slightly he winced as one of his attackers pulled at his trousers and growled in his ear. "Bet you're still pure as the day you were born."  
  
Sobbing into the dirt, William managed to lift his head a few inches from the floor and wail loudly into the night. A few of the Caitiffs laughed but two looked slightly scared and loosened their grip a little. William wriggled and wailed again hoping to get a reply. The two from before immediately released him and backed away.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" the one on top of William growled. "We're not even started. Hold him still while I taste his sweet arse."  
  
There was another howl sounding nearer this time and one of the two who had released William was actually shaking. "Tyler we should leave."  
  
"What?"  
  
"His Sire is coming. He's calling for his Sire and his Sire's calling back. If we don't leave soon..."  
  
"Calm down. Whoever sired the baby can't be anything special. There's six of us and one of them, and I want them to see their precious baby after I'm finished with him." The one called Tyler now had his trousers round ankles and was actually purring into William's neck. William shuddered and tried to move away from the erection he could feel digging into his back.  
  
There was another howl and the shaking Caitiff ran off away from William and his companions. William gave a feeble whine into the cold night air before collapsing back into the dirt sobbing. The Caitiff called Tyler was laughing and thrusting against his back now while trying to rip off the trousers that still covered the whimpering childe. The other five were holding him down and tasting some of the blood they had scratched out of his skin.  
  
Angelus is coming. William reminded himself. He's coming and he's going to stop them. He'll stake them for hurting me and nothing bad is going to happen. He'll get here before they can do anything. He will. He has too. He promised he would protect me. A grim realisation dawned on William as the Caitiff undid his belt and pulled down his ruined trousers. He's not coming. I broke a promise. I swore I'd be back by two and this is my punishment. He's not coming.  
  
William whimpered and tried to bury himself in the ground when he realised this. The Caitiffs were going to rape him, Angelus wasn't going to save him and he'd be abandoned. Alone. That was the scariest thing in the world to the young vampire. Being completely alone. He tried to curl away when Tyler pressed himself close to his arse and hissed in his ear. "This is more then what you deserve, baby." He growled. William tensed and tried not to think about what was coming next. He waited for the inevitable pain that was about to break him...when it didn't.  
  
He opened his eyes and was shocked at what he saw. Tyler was being held in the air by his throat and was kicking at his captor. He followed the hand up the arm and let out a sigh of relief when he saw who it was. Angelus. His sire had come. He had stopped them. He glanced around and saw none of the other Caitiffs, nothing else there but dust. Pulling his trousers back up he hissed slightly when he caught the fabric on a new wound on his stomach.  
  
Angelus glanced at his childe when he heard him hiss. Gripping the Caitiff tighter he turned and checked his childe over. Grabbing the railroad spike he had found earlier he pinned Tyler to the wall through his arm and made sure that the vampire wouldn't be going anywhere. He went over to where his childe was still sitting on the floor and crouched down next to him. The boy was shaking.  
  
"Will?" he asked. When he got no response, he took off the long coat he was wearing and threw it over his boy's shoulders. It was too big and hung off of him, but it had stopped him shaking and got his attention. "Are you okay my boy? Did they hurt you badly?"  
  
William shook his head slowly and avoided looking into his sire's eyes. He was in so much trouble. Not only had he been out late and broken a promise, he had spoiled Angelus' evening and made him come out to save him. "I...I'm sorry Sire." He rushed. "I didn't mean to disobey you. It was an accident. The Caitiffs chased me and I didn't want them to follow me back home so I ran and..."  
  
"Will hush." Angelus wrapped his arms around his son and pulled him closer until William was almost on his lap. "It's okay childe. Calm down. It's not your fault. You did nothing wrong." He sighed when William buried his face beneath his chin and began nuzzling into his chest. "Caitiffs pick on young childe because they are jealous. It's my fault; I should never have let you go out with only three minions. I'm sorry my boy. I'll never let anything harm you again. I promise you that." Angelus lifted his boy's chin and wiped at the tears still on his cheeks. "Now let's go home."  
  
William nodded and allowed Angelus to help him up. He looked up and found himself looking at Tyler who was growling and trying to loosen the spike in his arm unsuccessfully. "You really are a baby." He hissed. "Having to get your daddy to come and save you. You're pathetic. Baby." William watched as the dust crumbled to the floor and his Sire caught the railroad spike before it could touch the floor. Angelus handed it to him and held his waist tighter before scooping the boy into his arms and carrying him home, William still held the spike close to his heart.  
  
Amy watched from the rooftops as Angelus carried his baby home. 


	19. I Don't Need You: Journeys

I Don't Need You: Journeys.  
  
Higgy leaned over the backseat and rummaged through the bags she had thrown in the car barely ten minutes before. She had a headache. A very bad headache, which was rapidly turning into a migraine. Therefore she needed aspirin.  
  
Red was in the passenger seat and kept changing songs while arguing with DL over whom out of Busted was fitter. James for Red or Matt for DL. Personally Higgy didn't care. She had tried phoning every number she had listed under Angel and Co. and had no answer on any. The mobile was somewhere on the car floor and Higgy didn't know if she could face trying another number.  
  
DL was driving and Higgy was pleased to see that she had no respect for the speed limits. It didn't matter, she needed to get to Spike and DL understood that perfectly. Thank God she had such understanding friends.  
  
"I want to listen to Busted!"  
  
"They suck!"  
  
"No they don't!"  
  
"It's my car and I say we're listening to Queen of the Damned!"  
  
Higgy seriously considered jumping out of the car window if she didn't find any aspirin soon. "Guys please..."  
  
"BUSTED!"  
  
"QUEEN OF THE DAMNED!"  
  
Higgy slipped off her seatbelt and climbed over the seat into the front. Luckily DL had a big car and it wasn't such a squash. Squeezing herself between the two squabbling girls she pulled a CD case from her back pocket and placed a CD in the player before taking the two CDs away and climbing back. "It's my vampire so we are listening to Nerf Herder. Now sit down, and shut up." Finally finding the aspirin she took one and lay back on the seat to try and get some rest.  
  
"Track four!"  
  
"Track one!"  
  
Higgy was overjoyed when the phone began to ring from the floor. Picking it up she hushed the other girls and tried to hear the other person.  
  
"Higgy? It's Pepsi Max...again! What happened earlier? You hung up on me!" Higgy grimaced, she had forgotten about Pepsi. Whoops.  
  
"Erm...emergency."  
  
"Well do you still need a new charge? I've almost got your next case sorted. I'm sorry about Spike you know..."  
  
"Spike?" Higgy sounded confused. Oh wait a tic... "Oh Pepsi, Spike is fine! He's in L.A. with Angel. I don't need a new case yet. Sorry." She sunk lower in her seat and tried to brace herself for the screams that would come.  
  
"...Do you know how hard my job is?" Pepsi shrieked. "I have to trace the Auralius family line down through the ages for you! Do you know how long that takes? And trying to find exactly which vamp will be next into Sinco? Damn you Higgy Gauden!"  
  
"Erm...I'm sorry?"  
  
"Do you really think I'm going to..."  
  
"L.A.! Got to go. Bye." Higgy put the phone down and hid it beneath a bag. If she couldn't hear it ring, it didn't need to be picked up. It made sense. "DL you remember where Angel lives right?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"You think Angel will be glad to see me?" Red stopped fidgeting enough to ask.  
  
"I'm sure he will." DL said not really listening. She was trying to remember where the vampire with a soul lived. She hadn't been here for a few years and it was hard to remember where someone lived when they kept changing the streets every hundred years. "Bloody humans." She mumbled to herself.  
  
"Sire?"  
  
"I'm here. Sire's got you." Angel was smiling at him. Wait...Angel? Where the hell did he come from? Where the hell was he? Where were Higgy, DL and Red? This made no sense. "How do you feel Will?"  
  
"What?" Why was his throat so sore? His fangs were itching and there was a weird taste in his mouth. It was sweet and tasted so good. He wanted to bite something. He needed to bite something. Wait a second...that taste. It was blood. Oh god... he'd bitten someone and now Angel was going to kill him. He was going to be dust, and he couldn't even say goodbye to his girls. "I'm sorry." He whispered and tried to blink away the tears. "I'm so sorry Sire. I didn't mean to." He shuddered and tried to sit up. Why was he in Angel's arms? "Whoever I bit, I didn't mean it. I swear."  
  
Angel sat back a bit when Spike tried to sit up. Unaware what Spike was talking about he watched as his childe tried to sit up and caught him before he could fall back down. "Spike? Will?" he asked again. "You haven't hurt anyone. Taste again." He waited until Spike had swallowed some of what was in his mouth before continuing. "It's my blood. It's Sire's blood. Not humans. You haven't done anything wrong."  
  
Spike furrowed his brow and blinked away the tears from before. Now he was even more confused. Why the hell would Angel give him his blood? That had only happened a few times in his unlife, and that was when Angelus was around. Not this souled version of his sire. "I don't understand." He whispered from Angel's arms. "Why are you here? Where are the demons?"  
  
Angel smiled slightly. "Dead. I killed them. They hurt you and I hurt them till they died. I found you and brought you here. Home."  
  
"I'm at home?" Spike tried to sit up again and managed it with a little help from Angel. "Where are the girls? Where's Higgy? She must be really worried. Can I see her?" he frowned again when Angel laughed.  
  
"You're never going anywhere near those girls again."  
  
This is for Culf and mimifoxlove who are my best reviewers in the world!!! Luv you guys. Thanks a lot for your support. My new fic "Not so big bad" has been deleted because apparently it's not mine. Frown don't know how they worked that one out. But I will rename it and make sure it stays up next time. I need that fic to be up!!! Oh and here's the challenge from that fic as it's not up there any more.  
  
Spike must be a child (your choice how old). Angel must care for him. He can be either Human or Vampire whatever suits you. It can be in any series. Spike can have any reason for being a child. It can be any length or rating you like. I'd love to see a baby Spike or teenager Spike...hmm, wonder what would happen there...  
  
If you accept please inform me because I really want some more of these fics!!! Luv Higgy. 


	20. I Don't Need You: Understandings

I Don't Need You: Understanding.  
  
"W...what?"  
  
"You're never going anywhere near those girls again." Angel repeated smiling slightly and chuckling. "Not while I'm standing you're not. I trusted that girl and her friends. I trusted them with the protection of my childe. I should've known they'd abandon you."  
  
Spike was now sitting against a few pillows arranged around the headboard of his Sire's bed. He shook his head but stopped when the room began spinning. "They didn't abandon me Sire." He began. This was all a big misunderstanding. He would explain to Angel and then he'd take him back to Sunnydale and his girls. "The demons attacked the magic shop and I was taken."  
  
"So they left you to be taken and didn't even bother following?" Angel finished. The older vampire was acting strangely. He was furious obviously, you could tell from the words coming form his mouth. But it was the way he said them that was truly worrying. Angel was completely calm, as if discussing the weather and not the near second death of his childe. "That is not proper vampire caring if you ask me."  
  
"They were regrouping." Spike continued, frowning slightly. Angel couldn't be serious...could he? Keeping a charge from the Carer was like...like...keeping a Sire from their childe. It was unheard of. "They were making a plan to come and rescue me."  
  
Angel snorted. "And a good job they did to. They had a stake to your chest when I got there. When were they going to save you? When you were a pile of dust on the floor? When William? When?"  
  
Spike's emotions were already on edge from the weeks of Sinco he had been through and having his Sire confirm the fears that the head demon and years of abandonment had implanted in his head, was not helping. Feeling a few loose tears well up in his eyes he could do nothing but let them fall down his cheeks. "I don't know." He sobbed. "I don't know Sire, I'm sorry."  
  
Angel sighed and wiped the tears away with his thumb. Smiling down at Spike he could only whisper the words that he knew to be true. "You see what those girls have done to you? They're reducing you to tears William. They've done nothing to help you. I'm going to look after you now. Okay? I'm going to look after you and you'll be fine." He stroked Spike's hair and waited until the sobs had subsided. "Now, tell me what you feel."  
  
Spike lay still. Comforted by the smells of his sire and safety. Angel was right. He didn't need the girls. Angel could look after him he had before hadn't he? The only difference now was that Angel had a soul and that wasn't looking too bad considering they now had humans able to go out during the day. "My fangs hurt." He whispered, not wanting to break the moment. "And I have a weird feeling in my stomach." Angel bit his wrist and offered it to the youngster in his arms. "You're probably just hungry Childe. Drink. Drink and grow strong." Spike smiled and latched onto the wrist he knew so well. The blood seemed to help sooth his stomach and created only and feeling of warmth inside of him. If he put money on it he would be sure this was what heaven felt like.  
  
Angel smiled and left Spike to sleep again while he went out for more blood and bandages. Telling Wesley and Cordelia of the situation, he made them swear to protect Spike while he was gone and promised to be back within the hour. Nothing was going to happen to his Childe. Not while he was under his Sire's protection again.  
  
Higgy was ecstatic when she was finally able to get out of the car and breath fresh air. Red and DL were close behind and looking at the building they had been searching for. "Told you I knew where it was." DL muttered for the fifth time.  
  
Red ignored her for the fifth time and ran to the doors of Angel Investigations. Swinging it open she sprinted into the room and smashed into Wesley causing them both to fall to the floor and land in a pile of limbs. Higgy and DL stepped over the heap and went to talk to Cordelia who was sitting at her desk painting her nails.  
  
Without even looking up she began reciting the motto. "Angel Investigations. We help the..."  
  
"Higgy!"  
  
Higgy smiled and turned back to where the interruption had come from. Red was now helping a staring Wesley to his feet. The man had ruined Cordelia's moment and she was not looking too happy about it. "Hey Wes." Higgy replied and waved at the ex-watcher. "Guess you knew I was coming?"  
  
"Hey Wes." Red smiled and shook the hand she was still holding before becoming distracted by the mirror opposite and going to check her hair.  
  
"Hello Watcher." DL was always one to stand out and made sure she spoke with no emotion in her voice when greeting Wesley.  
  
Wesley was straightening out his tweed suit while attempting to regain his momentum. "Higgy. Yes I was actually. Ever since Angel arrived home with Spike I was anticipating your arrival."  
  
"Good." The blonde sighed and threw her leather coat onto the back of a chair. "Then you wont be surprised if I ask you to take me to him."  
  
Cordelia had obviously had enough of being ignored and decided to speak up. "Wesley? Just who the hell are these girls? They just come waltzing in here and want to see Spike and you're going to let them?" she paused. "Are you crazy? Angel would kill us if anything happened while he was gone. He trusts us!"  
  
"And I'd expect you to trust me Cordy." Wesley sighed and led Higgy to the elevator that went to his boss' apartment. "Believe me when I say that Higgy would never harm Spike or any other Auralius vampire." Cordelia fell silent and was left alone with the other girls that Higgy had bought with her.  
  
Higgy was anxiously playing with her hair while the lift descended. She was certain that Spike would be in bad shape and probably very tired after his ordeal. The lift stopped and she braced herself, this was not going to be pretty, but she could deal. She had to.  
  
Entering the bedroom she could only nod in silent thanks as Wesley went back upstairs to give her time. "Spike?" she whispered. The vampire was curled up in the sheets of the bed and purring softly like a content kitten. Brushing his hair with her fingers, she gently nudged him. "Spike? It's me. It's Higgy." One bleary eye cracked open in recognition of her voice and she had to smile. "Hey."  
  
Spike narrowed his eye and slowly opened the other one to the same level, looking at the girl as if she would vanish suddenly if he looked away. "Higgy? Is that really you? Or am I having another nightmare?" He flinched and looked around in case the girl had brought weapons.  
  
Higgy held his hand and squeezed slightly. "It's really me," she whispered. "I'm really here. And I bought you this." Pulling the dummy from her pocket, she placed it in his mouth and watched and he chewed on it thoughtfully before he smiled back.  
  
"It really is you." He whispered and pulled her until she was perched on the bed with him. "Only you can stop my fangs from hurting. But why are you here? Thought you were in Sunnyhell, with Red and DL."  
  
"They're here too." Higgy whispered back and sat beside her vampire, still holding his hand. "We're going to take you home. It's time for you to start stage three and you'll need to be somewhere you feel safe for it to be more bearable." She was so caught up in Spike's shudder of fear that she didn't notice the hand grabbing her by the throat until it had her pinned up against the wall.  
  
Hey it's another cliffhanger! Haha! Review and give me ideas with what can happen. My plan is really bad and I want to see if any of you guys have any better ways for this fic to go. This is dedicated to mimifoxlove for her support of all my fics and she had helped me write more when I felt like deleting every piece of work I own. Thanks a lot!!! luv all you guys especially you mimifoxlove! Please also read my other fics!!! And Care part 2 is nearly done I swear!!! 


	21. I Don't Need You: Listening

I Don't Need You: Listening.  
  
It wasn't the fact that his sire had pinned Higgy to the wall that scared Spike. It wasn't the fact that Angel was growling. It certainly wasn't because Angel was acting a lot more like Angelus than normal that scared him. It was the fact that he was alone.  
  
Sure Higgy and Angel were in the room but they weren't here. They were next to him. There was no one holding his hand. No one to tell him it would be okay. No one to hold him and comfort him and let him be William. No one was touching him. He shuddered and made to get out of the bed and grab onto either one of them. He didn't understand but he was so scared. He needed this. He needed something. He needed contact.  
  
"William, sit back down now!" oh god. Angel was yelling at him. Angel didn't want him. Angel wanted him to stay away. Reluctantly he sat back down and curled up away from them. He wanted their contact but they didn't want him. God he was so alone.  
  
Angel and Higgy were yelling at each other. Considering that Angel's hand was still pressing against her neck, Higgy was doing very well not to pass out. "Don't order him around like that!" she kicked out with one of her feet and managed to catch Angel's shin. He grunted and squeezed harder now growling louder than before.  
  
"Don't you dare tell me what to do." He snarled. Angel's eyes were now flashing gold and he was pulling back his top lip to expose his extra long canines. "He's my childe, I am protecting him!"  
  
"Just because he's your childe, doesn't mean you can order him around! He's not your frickin toy Angel!" Higgy was struggling harder and her face was turning slightly red from the grip around her throat.  
  
"I'm not ordering him! It's what's best. He needs to stay away from you and your stupid friends. You've done nothing to help him. Nothing!" Angel growled low and long at the struggling girl. She had no right to be here. "And you will stay away."  
  
Higgy didn't have to reply. The gun held to Angel's head said it all.  
  
Spike rocked back and forth harder. Silent tears were falling down his face, but no one was looking at him. Why wouldn't anyone look at him? Was he not good enough? Did they not want him? He stifled a sob and curled up further. He was useless. Pathetic. Stupid. Worthless. A Baby. Just like Tyler had said, all those years ago.  
  
He cracked open an eye and saw a new person. She was shorter than Higgy and had middle length brown hair. She also had a gun pressed to Angel's head. He listened as she spoke, calmly and evenly. "Take your hand off of her throat."  
  
Spike watched and prayed that he would. Higgy was weakening and was barely kicking anymore. She wasn't looking at him either. No one was. Why didn't they just say that they didn't want him? It was so much easier that way. He cringed when the new girl spoke again.  
  
"I know this wont kill you. But dear god dude, it'll hurt in the morning. So do us all a favour and put Higgy down. Preferable within the next two seconds or I pull the trigger." She was talking to him. Why him? Angel was being mean. Was that the way to make them see you?  
  
No. He shook his head. We've been through this before. Last time no one looked, it didn't matter how much he hurt. They just didn't care. He shook slightly when Angel took his hand away, but was still being looked at. Why did he get everything? Stupid sire. He whimpered and tried to tear his eyes away from what was happening.  
  
The new girl was still pointing the gun at Angel and pinning him to the wall while handcuffing him behind his back. "You are under arrest for breaking rule sixteen of the vampire lore. As stated in section two paragraph nine, and I quote, 'The Carer is never to be forced away from her charge'. You have broken this section of the vampire lore and are therefore under arrest. Please remain silent."  
  
Higgy stirred and stood up, using the wall to help her remain upright. She shook her head to clear the fogginess and cleared her throat. "Er...Pepsi Max?"  
  
"Quiet Higgy, I'm working here." She replied while checking Angel's bindings. The vampire was too shocked to fight back.  
  
"That's Angelus. Spike's Sire."  
  
"Oh." She lowered the gun and holstered it. "My mistake." She undid the cuffs and put them back on her belt and continued to shake Angel's hand. "Hi. I'm Pepsi Max; I'm Higgy's Seeker. I find the vampire's she cares for and make sure she finds them. It's a pleasure to meet you Angelus."  
  
Higgy chuckled. Pepsi sounded for the entire world like a parent meeting the parents of their future son in law. She ran the through round her head. It seemed about right. Angel was Spike's father technically and Max had seemed more like a parental figure in her weird life. The entrance of her friends and Angel's co-workers interrupted Higgy's thoughts.  
  
DL and Red nodded to Pepsi Max as if they knew she was here. Pepsi soon went over to catch up with them and Cordelia was filing her nails still. Wesley however was watching Spike. Higgy turned and saw why.  
  
Spike had started stage three. A lot sooner than normal.  
  
Another chappy. People were all asking who the hell was Pepsi Max, so I felt I had to explain. I know there wasn't that much Spike in this chapter, but there will be a lot lot lot more next time. I promise. Just be warned, he's going to be very different from regular Spike. You'll find out why next time. (God I'm evil. I always seem to end on cliffhangers) Please review if you like and if not, then review anyway and tell me why. I take all reviews as a gift and use their info to write better; so all types are gratefully accepted. Luv, a very tired Higgy, who has actually done some revision after failing her maths exam miserably. 


	22. I Don't Need You: Attention

I Don't Need You: Attention.  
  
"Holy shit." Higgy mumbled and ran over to her charge. Angel stepped in her way.  
  
"I don't think so. I said you weren't going anywhere near him and I meant it!" Angel pushed the girl back and growled angrily. Higgy merely sighed.  
  
"Look at him." She gestured to Spike. The vampire was curled up rocking back and forth whilst sobbing. "Stage three has started Angel, and since you don't want me to help him you go ahead. But before you do, please remind me, what is stage three?"  
  
Angel was silent. He looked between Higgy and his childe. What was going on? Spike stank of fear and sadness. He had never smelt this much fear from his childe. Never, not even when he was being chased by those stupid Caitiffs. "I...I don't know." He stumbled over the words. Seeing Spike like this was awful. And not knowing what was causing it was even worse.  
  
"Then let me go to him. Everyone else go upstairs. I'll come and explain when I'm finished here." She waited for Angel to let her go and immediately went to Spike's side. Taking the vampire in her arms she began rocking back and forth with him and whispering in his ear. Angel took one last glance before heading upstairs with the others.  
  
Higgy came back upstairs minutes later only to be pounced on by Angel. "You let go of me and I'll explain." She replied smoothly as if this kind of thing happened everyday. Which to her, it did.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with him?" Angel snarled, still not releasing the girl's arms. "Why was he like that? Tell me now!" If this girl had done anything to harm his childe, there was going to be hell to pay. He growled loudly and squeezed on Higgy's arms when she smirked. "Now girl!"  
  
"I told you. Let me go and I'll explain." The pressure relaxed on her arms and soon she was free to explain. "Spike had started stage three." She began. "I wanted him to be in a familiar place for this because he is going to be extremely confused."  
  
"What's going to happen to him?" Wesley asked quietly. The ex-watcher seemed interested and not at all phased by the still snarling Angel.  
  
"He will become very...clingy." Higgy waited for a second before explaining. "Now is the time in a vampire's life when they prepare to leave the family. However, before they do, vampires become severely attached to those they love and care for and so don't like to be left alone."  
  
"Are you saying that William is afraid of being alone?"  
  
"Yes. But he's started a lot earlier than expected, about a week earlier. That means that something form his past, some memory had interfered and managed to magnify this feeling of loneliness and made him feel it early. This also shows that his body is preparing to 'leave' his family and he is nearing the end of his Sinco. Only about a month or so left."  
  
"What are we going to do to help him?" Angel asked, vamp visage firmly in place and fangs glinting in the soft light. "I want to help. But...I understand that I need your help too."  
  
"We're going to take him home." Higgy nodded to DL and Red who shook hands with Wesley and Cordelia before making their way back outside to the car. "Now. If we hurry, we can get back before sunrise."  
  
"What about Angel?" Pepsi max asked. "According to vampire lore section one paragraph one and the very first statement in all the laws, No Sire can be forced away from their Childe."  
  
Higgy smiled and went back to the elevator with Angel following. "That's why he's coming with us."  
  
"I don't understand." Angel whispered as he carried his sleeping childe to his car. "We were all in the room with Spike. Why was he freaking out before?"  
  
Higgy opened the door for the vampires and waited until Spike was comfortably settled. "It's not just the presence of someone that Spike's going to want. He needs attention constantly. Like a child really. If someone's in the room, he wont feel safe until they're talking and looking at him."  
  
Angel sighed and got into the drivers seat. Spike was curled up next to him and he made sure that his Childe's seatbelt was tight, just in case. "So what do I do if he wakes up?"  
  
"Talk to him. Keep him calm. Try to make sure you always talk to him of just let him know that you know he's there. If things get too much, call my mobile and I'll talk to him over the phone." The blonde smiled and ruffled Angel's hair before heading back to DL's car.  
  
Sliding in the door she made sure the mobile was on. "Let's go." DL slammed her foot down and they sped off down the highway, waving goodbye to Pepsi Max as they went.  
  
Higgy was dozing when she felt the familiar vibrating coming form her pocket. Glancing at her watch, she pulled out the phone and pressed the answer button. "Hello Spike."  
  
"Hey Higgy. Where are you?"  
  
"I'm a few cars ahead of you. But don't worry. I'll see you in Sunnydale and we'll talk about this. Okay? How are you feeling?" Red was watching the Carer from over the front seat and was trying to figure out the conversation form Higgy's expressions.  
  
"I'm...okay...I guess. There's a funny feeling in my fangs and the dummy's not working. What's wrong?" Spike sounded scared and Higgy used her soothing voice to help calm him.  
  
"Nothing's wrong Spike. This is all meant to happen and you're coping brilliantly. We'll trying giving you some blood when we get in and I'll double check on your fangs. That sound okay?"  
  
"Yeah. Okay."  
  
Higgy covered the mouthpiece while Red poked her. "What?" She hissed to the potential.  
  
"Can I talk to him?"  
  
Higgy smiled and went back to the phone. Spike was silent and Higgy was sure she could hear Angel talking in the background. "Spike? Are you still there? Hello?"  
  
"Oh, you're still there. I thought you'd gone. Sorry."  
  
"It's okay Spike. Here, Red wants to talk to you." She handed the phone over and lay back in her seat. In about an hour's time they'd be in Sunnydale. They could sort out Spike and Angel would be there so no doubt Spike would be calmer. She sighed. Things were finally starting to feel normal...well, for her.  
  
Notice how there is not cliffhanger!!! See. Nothing. Man I'm a good Higgy. Be proud of me, I so badly wanted to leave you at another one. Only 4 more days of exams left! Thank the Lord. That means that there will be a celebratory chapter of one of my fics. Extra long. So, cast your votes. Which one? Luv Higgy xxx. 


	23. I Don't Need You: Red

I don't need you: Red  
  
"And his dummy's on the side in my room. There's blood in the fridge if he wants it but make sure it's warm enough or it'll irritate his fangs. If he feels sick then just call me and I'll be right here. In fact maybe I shouldn't go..."  
  
"Higgy!" Red grabbed her friend's arm and steered her towards the door. "This is a very important meeting for both you and Angel. If you don't go and talk to the vampire council then Spike wont be recognised as a master vampire will he?"  
  
"No...but..."  
  
"No buts. We'll be fine I swear. Now go. Have fun. Do rituals. Look pretty. Just don't worry about us. We'll be fine. I can so deal with this." Red handed Higgy her bag and practically pushed her out of the door.  
  
"Okay. We'll go. We'll have fun. We'll do the rituals and do I really look pretty?" Higgy spun around in the Carer ritual clothing of a black silk dress and silver shoes. Red nodded and Higgy continued. "And we won't worry about you guys... too much."  
  
"Okay..."  
  
"Oh and Red?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Don't use the oven...or the microwave...you know what? Here's some money, order a pizza if you get hungry." Higgy handed over the green bills and straightened her dress before Red shoved her to the doorway again.  
  
"Good. Go. ANGEL!" Red yelled back into the flat. A very flustered looking Angel came rushing out from the bathroom with Spike following behind. (A/N. NOT what you think you dirty people!) Angel was trying to do his sash correctly for the ritual. Red sighed and pushed him to the door. "Go on or you'll be late! Higgy'll do you sash...and your hair...and...well she'll make sure you look more presentable then you are right now. Now take your car keys and go!" she threw him the keys and waited for him to leave.  
  
Angel paused and looked back at his childe. Spike was looking at the floor and Angel could see the tears in his eyes. "William?" Spike sniffed and a tear fell from his eye. He wiped it away and lifted his head to meet his sire's gaze. Angel sighed before going back in and taking Spike in his arms, purring softly. "What is it childe?"  
  
"You're...you're leaving. Last time you left you didn't come back." Spike sniffed again and a few tears fell onto Angel's ritual clothing.  
  
"William." Angel pulled back and took Spike's face in his hands. "I promise I'll come back to ye. I swear that to ye childe. My William." He smiled when Spike relaxed slightly. For some reason Spike always felt calmer when he heard Angel slip into his Irish brogue. Kissing Spike's brow gently Angel released him and left without another word.  
  
Red grinned and slammed the door behind him before turning round to face Spike. "DL's helping the scoobies, Higgy and Angel have gone out of town. It's just you and me Spike. This is going to be fun!" She bounced on her toes and waited to see the vampire's reaction.  
  
Spike just gulped.  
  
"Are you sure this is safe?"  
  
"Spike! Come on!" Red pouted and stood straight on the tabletop in the kitchen. "You're going to be a master vampire! Unlive a little bit." She watched the vampire chew on his bottom lip. "It'll be fun and you wont think about your fangs hurting will you? Plus you need attention and while I'm here, you'll get Red attention."  
  
"I can't help but think that Red attention will end in detention." Spike muttered as Red pulled him up beside her and turned on the CD player she had got from her room. "Are you sure we can do this?"  
  
"Spike. If you don't stop worrying than Higgy'll be home before we have any fun. Now come on take a deep breath and relax." She waited for the vampire to do so. "Besides Higgy wont care if it keeps you in high spirits." Red grinned and made sure the video camera was pointing at them. She waited for Busted to start singing before she 'busted' jumped from the sideboard onto the sofa holding Spike's hand so he had to do it too.  
  
Red laughed as Spike nearly fell over and she steadied him before grabbing his hands and dancing. Spike grinned and joined in once he'd regained his footing. "What is this crap?" He yelled over all the noise. Red paused in her dancing and pushed him backwards onto the sofa.  
  
"BUSTED!" she yelled and hit him with a pillow. Spike squeaked and tried to protect his head from the oncoming attack while Red squealed with laughter. However, it was soon silenced when Spike found another pillow and began hitting her as well. Since he was merely playing and not intentionally hurting Red, Spike found that the chip wouldn't go off. He began laughing when Red's pillow burst and feathers began floating everywhere.  
  
Red giggled and blew a handful into Spike's face. He growled playfully and pounced on her. Soon the potential and vampire were rolling around on the floor in a heated wrestling match. "Give up chippy, you can't beat me!"  
  
"Bloody well watch me woman!"  
  
Red giggled and smirked evilly at Spike. "You know, Angel told me a little secret of yours yesterday..." Spike yelped as Red began tickling his ribs. He tried to curl up in a ball but it was to no avail, the girl was persistent in her attack. He shrieked and began thrashing about to try and knock the girl off but she wouldn't stop.  
  
"Red...Red!" he gasped between unneeded breaths. "Stop...STOP IT!" He laid back when Red did stop and collapse in a similar fashion to him. "That was fun!" he laughed and had to lay back again when he found he couldn't breathe. Not that he needed to, it just felt nice to breathe sometimes. Red nodded from beside him and sat up.  
  
"And now, we get to the best bit."  
  
"There's more?"  
  
"This is the best bit."  
  
"It's been the best bit for the whole film!"  
  
"But this is the best of the best bits."  
  
Spike rolled his eyes and pulled the duvet they were sharing up to his chin. He and Red were curled up on the sofa watching 'Back to the Future'. The girl had insisted they have a sleep over in the living room and they were both in their pyjamas and were surrounded by popcorn they had failed to catch in their mouths. Spike wriggled again and Red just poked him. "What's up with you? That's the fifth time you've wriggled since Marty put on the tux."  
  
"Nothing." Spike mumbled and tried to ignore the constant itching in his fangs. He didn't want to ruin the perfect day by acting like a baby. They had had the best time. After the pillow fight, they had played on the PS2, taken photos of each other and stuck them on DL's bedroom wall, hidden Angel's hair gel, after the sun had gone down they had gone paddling in the sea before killing a few demons and heading home. Overall it had been a good day and Spike wasn't going to ruin it.  
  
"You want your dummy?"  
  
Okay maybe this wouldn't ruin it. "Yes please." He screwed up his eyes and tried to block out the tingles of pain that were running through his fangs. They were beginning to bleed again and he was determined not to show Red what a baby he was. When Red appeared from Higgy's room with the dummy in hand, he quickly took it and began chewing on the teat. Hopefully it would work this time.  
  
However, after ten minutes of feeling like someone was pulling out his fangs he whimpered slightly and felt Red's hand encircle his. "Spike? You want me to help?"  
  
"How?" He closed his eyes and tried not to picture a nearly master vampire asking for help from a girl.  
  
"Here." She took the dummy from his mouth and went into the kitchen. Spike focused on the slight padding of her bare feet on the cold tiles to distract himself form the burning feeling he was the victim of. "Open up." When she was back Spike opened his mouth obediently and was surprised when the feeling almost completely disappeared. He chewed on the dummy and savoured the blackcurrant flavour he could taste.  
  
"'S nice." He mumbled as he felt his eyelids droop. What ever it was it was good and he wanted to sleep now. Curl up here on the warm sofa with his head on Red's shoulder and dream of nice things.  
  
"It's called Tyxilix." Red smiled as she felt Spike drop off to sleep. "It's what parents use to get their kids to sleep in England." Spike simply purred.  
  
Cute? Want to read more? Then review and tell me what to write. What do you want to read? Come on! Tell me! You know you want to... Luv Higgy xxx 


	24. I Don't Need You: DL

I Don't Need You: DL  
  
Spike sighed and rolled over. This was nice. He was warm and comfy. Whatever he was leaning on was soft and his dummy tasted nice for some reason. He chewed on it thoughtfully and didn't notice the blood that dribbled down his chin. Nuzzling his pillow he didn't hear DL come through the door and sigh.  
  
He did notice, however, when she came over and began poking him in the stomach. He whimpered slightly (although he'd never admit it) and curled up into the duvet more. He didn't want to move. He wanted to sleep some more. Eventually though he had to take notice when she stole his dummy. The instant she did his fangs began to throb.  
  
Howling slightly, Spike sat up and rubbed his eyes of sleep. "What are you doing?" Keeping his eyes as slits, he peered at the girl in the bright light. DL was standing with her hands on hips and dummy in hand. Spike clambered out from under the duvet and stood to face his opposition.  
  
"Spike why don't you go to your room?" the girl almost growled at him and he took a step back. Why was she so mad at him? What had he done?  
  
"DL? What's up?" he tried to growl back, but only succeeded in making his fangs throb in pain. "And can I have my dummy back?"  
  
DL scowled and merely pointed over to Red, not making any attempt to explain or give back the dummy. Spike turned and looked over at the sleeping girl. Did a double take and took a closer look at Red's shirt. He gulped and looked down at the duvet they'd been sharing. Both were soaked with blood. Putting a hand to his mouth Spike realised why. Blood coated his fingers and also the dummy in DL's hands.  
  
DL looked over at him and pointed to the bathroom. "Go clean yourself up and get a clean shirt, yours is ruined. I'll deal with Red and everything." Spike nodded still looking at his hands and managed to make his way to the bathroom.  
  
Spike sat on the toilet and watched as blood dripped onto the tiles. How could he have been so stupid? He had bled all over Red and the sofa and the duvet and himself. No wonder they didn't want him there. No wonder DL took away his dummy. What kind of vampire deserves pain relief? Not him.  
  
He didn't understand. He'd never bled this bad before. It used to be just around his mouth and pillow but now...it was everywhere. He had ruined his perfect day with Red. Bugger!  
  
Spike sighed and rubbed his fists into his eyes to try and stop the tears he could feel brimming there. Vampires don't cry. But was he a vampire? Did he deserve to be a vampire? He couldn't hunt, couldn't fed he couldn't even show his fangs without them hurting. Stupid bloody Sinco. Why couldn't it be over already?  
  
"Spike?" DL opened the bathroom door and slipped in. Spike cursed himself for not locking it. "I've cleaned up everything. Reds in her bed and I came to see how you were doing." She came over and knelt in front of the bleached blond vamp. He was shaking with unshed tears. "Spike? You okay?"  
  
############  
  
DL couldn't quite work out what had happened. One minute she'd been with Spike it the bathroom, the next she was sitting on the sofa with a shaking vampire practically on her lap. She had her arms wrapped round him tightly and was stroking his back in comforting circles as he sobbed.  
  
"Come on Spike, tell me what's wrong baby. I'll make it all better." She soothed. The vampire merely shook his head and nuzzled into her neck for comfort. She sighed and rocked back and forth slightly as Spike wailed like an overgrown child. The vampire had worked himself into a right state and DL was finding it hard to deal with.  
  
"Please Spike? What's wrong sweetheart? Tell DL and I'll try to make it better. That sound okay?" She brushed her hands through Spike's hair and purred into his ear to calm him. Spike shifted and sniffed slightly. DL took that as a sign that he was willing to try and talk. "Come on now Spike. Big bad vampire don't cry for no reason."  
  
Spike lifted his head slowly and peered at DL through bloodshot eyes. His lower lip was trembling and his voice was closed and croaky after crying for so long. "Want Sire. Want my Sire." He wailed and quickly nuzzled back into DL's embrace. She sighed and purred into his ear again.  
  
"Sire's not here at the moment Spike. You know that." She sighed and when Spike trembled again. "But I'll look after you. I'll be your sire until Angel gets back. How does that sound?"  
  
Spike sat up and watched DL again through confused eyes. "Y...You be my sire? How?" He watched as DL grinned and offered him his dummy. Spike accepted and began suckling again.  
  
"Tell me about when you were younger. I want to know." She smiled as Spike settled back down and went to talk. However before he could, DL slipped some fluid in his mouth and he coughed on it.  
  
"What was that?" he choked and she smiled.  
  
"Check your fangs." DL replied and waited.  
  
"They don't hurt...they don't hurt!" he cried.  
  
"I know. Sire's blood and my blood makes a great antidote. She smiled and let Spike settle down again. "It's also a very good sleeping draught..."  
  
Spike didn't hear he was already asleep. 


	25. I Don't Need You: Back

I Don't Need You: Back.  
  
"We're home." Higgy called and locked the door behind her. Success. The vampire clan had accepted that Spike, or William the Bloody, was going through Sinco at an amazing pace, therefore making him a powerful master vampire. Angel had been amazingly well behaved considering the blood they had been offered was human. She shuddered at the memory. Stupid vampires and their stupid bloodlust. She'd been smacked on the arse so many times she'd lost count.  
  
Angel's time hadn't been much better. He'd been hit on by practically everyone at the ceremony and been offered soul removal three times. Each of which he'd declined much to the disappointment of the askers. "Guys? Hello?"  
  
"SHH!" DL looked over the back of the sofa and hissed to her friends. "He's sleeping, finally." She indicated to the snoozing Spike still on her lap. Higgy smiled and went to the kitchen to find her and Angel some decent food. Corpses were not really the best appetisers for either of them.  
  
Angel went over and began to stroke Spike's hair soothingly. He grinned when Spike began purring. DL sighed and Angel helped her to shift the dead weight (literally) from her lap. Angel sat with his childe and purred softly with him whilst flicking through the late night TV shows that were on. DL went to find Higgy.  
  
"Higgy?"  
  
The blonde spun round and smiled to her friend. "What was he like? Is he coping okay?" DL sighed and sat at the counter with her friend. Higgy was always like this after the ceremony, bubbly and bouncy. Not the best combination for what she had to tell her.  
  
"He's near the end."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Spike's finishing Sinco sooner than normal. His first day of bed bleeding was tonight. Two more and he's done. Finished. No more Sinco, no more caring, no more us." DL put a comforting hand on Higgy's shoulder. "You okay?"  
  
Higgy watched her hands as she answered. This was stupid. Why did she feel so upset? Usually she'd be fine. Good news, no more vamps for a while. But now...now she didn't want Spike to finish Sinco. She'd gotten too attached to him and now she didn't want to go.  
  
"Yeah. I'm fine." She forced cheerfully and watched as DL got out the ice cream and two spoons. "Well, I will be."  
  
"Don't worry. We've got two more nights with him and Angel. We'll make sure they're the best." DL comforted her friend. Higgy needed this. Spike had been her favourite vampire yet. It had been obvious really.  
  
The blonde chewed her spoon thoughtfully. "Damn right." She muttered.  
  
#############  
  
"Where're we going?" Spike asked for the sixth time in five minutes. He was bored. Chewing on his dummy and asking questions were the only things that were keeping him entertained. DL was driving, Higgy was giving directions and Red was attempting to flirt with Angel. He had been teasing her because of it, but had got bored soon enough so now he was left with nothing to do but ask.  
  
Higgy shook her head and pointed to another road for DL. The car went down the street and Spike sighed. He had no idea and no one was talking to him. "Higgy..." he whined and pulled on her hair. "Please talk to me...I'm bored..." he bit his lip when he went to say, 'and lonely'. He was a master vampire. He didn't need to say that.  
  
Higgy turned around in her seat and turned up the radio. "Alright then. What do you want to talk about?"  
  
"Where're we going?"  
  
"It's a surprise." The blonde grinned and ruffled Spike's hair. Spike scowled and ruffled hers back. Higgy giggled. "Yours looks like Angels." Spike growled and tried to flatten his hair again. There was no way he wanted to look like that.  
  
"Speaking of my hair, where's my gel gone? That's why it looks like this. Otherwise it would be perfect as usual." Angel pouted and leaned back with his arms crossed. Red laughed and ruffled his hair so it looked even more like a two years olds. Angel sighed and gave up.  
  
"I'm still bored." Spike sighed and began toying with his dummy. Ever since last night his fangs hadn't been hurting so much. They just throbbed every so often. Higgy had insisted he brought his dummy along so he could use it just in case. He wouldn't have minded if she had told him where they were going.  
  
"I spy with my little eye something beginning with..."  
  
##############  
  
"Purse?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Pocket?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Piss?"  
  
"Spike! Can you see piss here?"  
  
"Could if I tickled Red enough."  
  
"No you couldn't."  
  
"Could too."  
  
"Could not."  
  
"Could too!"  
  
"DL we give up what was it?"  
  
"The puppy we saw half hour ago."  
  
The others all groaned.  
  
"I spy..."  
  
##########  
  
"We're here."  
  
"Thank god...where's here exactly?" Spike asked and clambered form the car, glad to get away from Red's insistent poking.  
  
"Well, since you're nearly finished Sinco we decided to take you out for a treat." DL explained and got out of the car as well. Higgy was already out and inside booking their lane.  
  
"What we doing then?" Spike asked, curious as to what the girls called fun. Angel looked equally as apprehensive as Spike.  
  
"Bowling followed by meal." Red said simply and ran inside to follow Higgy.  
  
###########  
  
Soon they were all seated in their ridiculous bowling shoes. It had taken them a while to persuade Spike that he had to change shoes, ('these Docs are older than you are mate, and if you damage them I swear you'll wish you've never been born!') but eventually they were ready.  
  
Red had tried to input their names into the system but had got scared by the noises the machine made, so DL tried instead and got it to work straight away. DL got up to begin the match with her black ball. Being a vessel of the spirits she could have just apparated to a closer spot without setting the alarms, but Spike kept arguing that it classed as cheating. The Red argued that it was cheating if you tickled someone when they were trying to bowl so Spike began to get defensive.  
  
In the end Angel and Higgy were sitting between them while DL took her go. "Strike!"  
  
"Bloody bitch." Spike mumbled as Higgy went up for her turn. Being the only human there she had the lightest ball. A bright pink one she had found in the kiddie section. He grinned when Higgy managed to knock over one pin on her first go. Followed by another one next time. "Better luck next time luv." He smirked and she grinned sitting next to him.  
  
"I'm biding my time, I'm gonna whip all your arses." She answered and watched Red take her go. The potential managed to get a spare and Spike glared at her when she went back to her seat. Red poked her tongue out back.  
  
He grinned when it was his go. "Watch the master." He drawled and stepped forward. Soon he and DL both had strikes and Angel had to take his go. He grinned and waited for the opportune moment. There was no way his Sire was going to beat him. Not if he had anything to do with it.  
  
When Angel was about to release his bowling ball Spike decided to strike. "Nice arse!"  
  
#########  
  
"If you hadn't kept yelling that and pinching my arse I would have won."  
  
"Sure you would have Peaches. Sure you would."  
  
"I would."  
  
"Well both you guys were at least twenty points off the champion." Red replied.  
  
"DL cheated. She used her spirit thingys..." Spike trailed off.  
  
"At least we weren't one hundred points off the champion like someone else." Angel grinned.  
  
"Hey! My pink ball and me are still biding our time. We'll get you guys one day. You wait and see."  
  
DL grinned and ordered the drinks for the losers. Spirits be damned, she was a champion at bowling.  
  
############  
  
Yeah I'm going with the random. Is it too late to plead insanity? 


	26. I Don't Need You: Dinner

I Don't Need You: Dinner

"I'm just saying if this place caters for all, then why don't they have blood?" Spike toyed with the glass in front of him and prodded the potential sitting opposite.

"Because it's very rare that a vampire would come in here. Especially for drinks when there are young children running about and adults having dinner." Red flicked an ice cube at the vampire and tried to ignore him again. No such luck.

Spike grinned and flicked the frozen water back across the table. It was fun to annoy Red. She was more fun to annoy than the scoobies or Angel. They didn't fight back so well verbally. Red knew tonnes of stuff to say. Although, it seemed that she picked up most words from Higgy.

"Oh, jealous are we? Rather I was sucking on your neck Red?" Spike grinned when the potential kicked him from under the table and flicked another ice cube at him. "That means yes then."

"I do not want you sucking on my neck! Creep."

"No, you'd rather have tall, dark and brooding sucking on yours wouldn't you?" the vampire grinned as Red blushed bright crimson. The girl was still pink when Angel and Higgy returned with their drinks. Higgy sat next to her charge and Angel was forced to sit next to the blushing potential. Spike grinned and gnashed his fangs at the girl, letting her know exactly how much he was going to tease her tonight.

DL was ordering the desserts for them all. They'd all finished their dinners earlier and now they needed something to fill the corners. Although Angel wasn't really into eating human food, he still ordered something to keep the girls happy. They kept pestering him about not being human enough.

"Spike stop teasing Red about her crush on Angel." Higgy sighed as she made her way to the bathroom. Spike snorted with laughter as Red turned an even darker shade and quickly followed her friend, intent on beating her for letting Angel find out. Spike was left at the table with his Sire who was doing his best to act calm.

"She has a crush on me?" the older vampire asked after a few minutes. Spike nodded and sipped at Higgy's coke. He'd finished his drink a while ago and couldn't be asked to go and order another. "Damn. You think I've been leading her on at all?"

"Nope." The blonde replied as DL came back. "Tell him DL. It's not his fault that Red's been lusting after him is it?"

DL sighed and sat in her seat on the other side of Spike. "He hasn't been encouraging her at all. Red's just like that. She finds a guy she likes and he's all she can think about. Trust me. I was there when there was Lewis..."

Spike and leaned closer. "Oh do tell..."

"I can't believe you said that!"

"Said what?" Higgy dried her hands and waited for the other girl to hurry up. "Oh, you mean the crush thing... You know me by now Red. That's what I do. I speak my mind."

"But did you have to speak it out loud?" Higgy contemplated the meaning of the words, before realising that they made no sense. She shook her head and waited for Red to catch up. "Wait a tic..."

"Red? Get over it. Spike had probably already told Angel anyway." The potential was now washing her hands whilst Higgy waited patiently. "Trust me, its no big deal."

"Fine. But if..."

"Red! Let's go?"

"Fine." Red stalked out before her friend and entered halfway through DL's story. "Oh for God's sake! Can we stop talking about my past?"

"Why?" DL grinned as Higgy sat down. "It's a good subject. All of our pasts are." Higgy smiled and began making a paper boat from her menu.

"I guess we all have weird pasts." Angel pointed out. He took his glass and held it in the air, waiting for the others to do the same. "A toast." He said. "To the past."

"The past." They all chorused before sipping from their drinks.

Higgy groaned as she woke up. Last night was a blur. She remembered a toast and then having dessert with the rest. Spike had been force-feeding his sire some of his ice cream for some reason and had managed to get some on the older vampire's nose. Angel had spent the next five minutes trying to lick it off.

Oh she remembered now. Some guy had approached her at the bar and he must've slipped a roofie in her drink. The rest of them must have brought her home when she passed out. Guess she had some thanking to do.

Yawning and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she slipped out of bed and wrapped her robe round herself. Creeping into the main room she saw the two vampires sprawled across the couch watching some old movie. Red was in the kitchen singing to some busted song and DL was cooking something with her.

"Morning guys." The blonde told them all. Red came rushing over an immediately began checking her over for signs of injury.

"You feeling okay? Got a headache? Anything hurting?" eventually Higgy managed to push the girl away and explain that she was fine, and was sorry that she had ruined the evening for the rest of them.

"That's alright." Angel replied from the couch. "It was the guys fault you passed out."

"Yeah," Higgy brushed her hair from her eyes and looked at the clock. It wasn't morning after all. It was 5:30pm. Must've been a strong drug... "What happened to him anyway?"

"He'll be eating through a straw for the next six weeks." Spike grinned and chewed on his dummy. Sure he hadn't done the actual beating, but he liked to watch Angel vent his rage on something other than him for once. DL laughed and brought in the cookies she and Red had made.

"Go and get washed up Higgs. We're going out in an hour. Last night with these two. Then, you're a free woman again." She smiled and saw the grins flicker on Spike and Higgy's faces.

"Then let's make it good."

This chapter is pants. Sorry bout that but I couldn't think of anything to write so I got it to their last night before the girls and Angel leave Spike all alone. I need something fun for them to do on their last night. Please give me some fun ideas guys!!! Thanks. Higgy xxx.


	27. I Don't Need You: Endings

I Don't Need You: Endings.

"I'm not comfortable with this breaking and entering thing guys..."

"Oh shut up Angel." Higgy muttered as they neared the entrance. "And would you stop calling it breaking and entering? It's just using out of hours."

"Plus, if you think about it, you two have done much worse than this throughout your existence." DL pointed out as she opened the padlock expertly. Having no fingerprints was a very handy tool when it came to getting what you wanted.

"Yeah but I'm trying to redeem myself here. And breaking and entering is not helping." Angel muttered and stuck close to the back of the group, keeping an eye out for anyone that might see them.

Red smiled and clambered over the front desk that was in front of the door they wanted to go through. "We wont tell anyone." She flicked a switch and was rewarded with a flashing red light going off and emitting a loud siren.

"RED!" all four others yelled and scrambled forward to stop the noise that would give away their position. The young potential rolled her eyes and flicked the switch back.

"Relax guys. It's just preparing the arena for us." She pointed to where the door behind her opened and showed a podium coloured in the three primary colours of red, yellow and blue.

"Silly bint...did you have to make so much noise?" Spike snarled as he sauntered past the girl and inspected the new room. "So...what's this for?" He kicked the podium and waited for one of the girls to explain.

"Just to make the teams even, but we're just playing all against all. So we just need to go straight through." Higgy walked past the two vampires who were inspecting the gadgets along the walls. "Follow me." She walked through one of two doors and into another room to where there were many racks, each holding a jacket of some sort.

DL grinned and slipped on a jacket with flashing red lights on the shoulder and chest. She held the gun with expertise and covered the sensor beneath it. "This is the gun. To shoot, you put your hand here and pull the trigger. You shoot the others and the one who shoots everyone the most and gets hit the least wins."

Higgy smiled and pulled on another red jacket. "Got it? It's easy." She spun her gun round her finger and quickly held it to Red's chest sensor on the red jacket she'd put on. "You hit someone if you get them here," she pointed to a the shoulders, "here," she pointed to the chest again, "and here." She shot Red's gun and Red's gun froze for five seconds before starting up again.

"And that happens if you get shot." Red pointed out and double-checked her jacket was clipped up properly. Spike nodded and pointed his gun to Angel's head. Angel batted it away and shot Spike in the chest on his sensor. Spike pouted and folded his arms to begin a sulk, until Higgy opened the door and countdown began.

**15 seconds till activation.** It boomed and the vampires turned to find the girls had disappeared through a door into the arena. They both shrugged simultaneously and ran into the smoke and darkness inside.

!"£$&()

Spike hid himself behind a wall and waited for the shuffles of feet to disappear. He smelt who it was and found it was DL. She had been hunting for him since they began this game and so far he'd been shot quite a few times. Higgy seemed to be pretty bad player as she was slightly scared of the dark and kept screaming when she saw someone. Also, Red was easy to find. You just had to follow the swear words as she got hit. Only thing he found weird was that he hadn't seen Angel yet.

**Running away wont save ya!** His pack bleeped to him and shut down for five seconds. How was shooting him? DL had just run past, Higgy was at the other end of the arena screaming, and Red was being shot at as he thought. The only person missing was Angel.

Closing his eyes and focussing on his sire's scent, he tried to pin point exactly where he was. After a few seconds he opened his eyes and found himself inches away from his sire's face. "Bloody hell!" he yelled and fell backwards to the floor.

Angel couldn't help but smirk and shoot Spike again in the chest before running away, knowing his childe was hot on his heels.

!"£$&()

"Guys, the rules state NO physical contact..." Higgy printed off their games sheets and was not surprised when she got 2,547 points against everyone else's that were way over 50,000.

"But if you can't keep your hands off each other..." Red grinned and took in the sorry sights before her. Two mature adult vampires both had ripped shirts and scratches over their chests where the playful non-contact game, had become a full on brawl.

"We totally understand." DL happily handed each of them a drink and took in the flat, muscular, toned bodies beneath the ripped shirts. No harm in looking was there?

"Of course, you could have waited till we got home to grope each other's asses." Higgy stated and jumped behind the bar looking for a drink. She needed something to cool her down after that.

"We weren't groping!" Angel growled and stepped away from Spike.

"You saying I'm not gropeable or something?" His childe spoke his mind and pouted. Hands on hips and scowl fixed on his face, he was exactly like a child.

Angel sighed and rubbed his forehead. Spending everyday with his childe was killing him. Sure Spike was a nice enough guy when you got to know him, but everyday with the most annoying vampire on the planet? It drove you crazy after a while. "Spike? Stop being stupid."

"No, I'm serious. Don't you think I'm gropeable?" he was pouting fully now and looked like a sulking child. Which he was. Angel rolled his eyes and didn't even bother to turn around to face his childe.

"Spike, this is a stupid conversation. Stop it."

Obviously, Spike hadn't heard him. "I mean I know you're not a complete poof, but I like to feel wanted. It's not like I have a reflection to check myself over. And I can't see my ass, but I'm pretty sure it's gropeable." The bleached blond tried to turn so that he could check out his posterior and only succeeded in falling over.

His sire looked down at his sulking childe. The younger vampire was sitting at his feet still trying to check himself out. "Spike? I'm not gay, and neither are you."

Looking up at his sire and folding his arms defensively, Spike answered back. "So? If you're not gay then you wont mind giving me a straight answer. Did you really mean I'm not gropeable? Not even a little bit?"

Rubbing his eyes Angel gave in. If he didn't let Spike win now then he'd never hear the end of it. Ever. Spike could hold grudges for a century. He should know. "Fine. Spike you're very gropeable. Happy?"

"No, coz now you're just saying it to make me shut up."

"No, I'm serious Spike." Angel added. Anything to get his childe to shut up. "If I was gay, then I'd ask you out. You are gropeable. You have a very firm ass and a toned body. You're very gropeable."

Both vampires looked up to see all three girls perched on the bar sipping drinks. Two were smiling happily and laughing to themselves, and Higgy was pressing stop on her Dictaphone. "What? It's a Carer report."

She ran after the others who were following the vampires that had just stormed out. "Sure it is Higgy."

"What? Okay, maybe I'm saving it for a rainy day..."

!"£$&()

Rain splattered against the huge windows of the airport. There was a constant stream trailing down them and an echoing pitter-patter as the drops fell. The girls were sat in the cold hard seats of the terminal, DL was being quiet flicking through a random magazine she had picked up, and Higgy was sat asking the time every ten minutes. Spike was pacing trying to act like his normal "hard " self but underneath he calm cool exterior Higgy could tell he was crying, Angel was sat looking very much as though he was brooding.

Red sat drumming to the tune of "losing you" in her head as she looked around the collection until her eyes fall upon Angel, she disappeared in to her thoughts, he was so...gorgeous, tall strong, ok so maybe he was a little dead, but he was amazing what she would give to hug him maybe kiss him...

"Do you think there will be peanuts on the flight?" Higgy asked. "Do you think anything at home has changed?" She was trying no to think about how soon they would be leaving her vampire, well...vampires, behind. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay and make sure they were safe. But it couldn't be.

DL was flicking through magazines like normal. She wasn't as affected as the other girls, but she still felt some loss when they had to go. She peered over the top of the page to see that Spike was chewing on his thumbnail and pacing back and forth in a continuous circle. "No Higgs. I'm sure everything's the same as when we left."

Angel wasn't really paying attention to the acts of those around him. He knew they had to go, but he thought he could have stayed with Spike a bit longer so he wouldn't feel so abandoned. Of course, fate was against him and Cordy had phoned earlier to say something about Wolfram and Hart being up to their old tricks. He had to get back later on tonight. Without Spike.

"All passengers for flight 501 to London please board now, thank you."

Spike winced as the girls all stood and grabbed their hand luggage. This was it. He was going to be left alone again. Stuck with the Scoobies. Xander would pick on him. Buffy would pulverise him. Giles would no doubt refuse to pay him until he did something useful. He was so screwed.

Red and Angel were talking together now. Spike could've sworn her saw red blush as Angel kissed her cheek gently. He knew the girl had had a crush for a while, but he didn't know anyone could go that red.

Higgy was looking out of the windows and gazing intently at their plane. She really didn't want to leave. Spike looked like he was about to cry when DL went up to him to say goodbye.

"Well I guess this is it Spike." She sighed and pulled him into a one armed hug, which he responded to gratefully. "It's been fun seeing you again." He grinned and laughed slightly to push away the tears. "And just remember that you were always my favourite out of Angelus' Childer. Coz...well...let's face it, you were the best."

"Corse I am. Who could ever be as great as me?" Spike replied and shook her hand formally. "Besides, I had a brilliant Vessel of the spirits looking after me." DL smiled and went over to Angel as Red took her place.

Spike looked down at the young potential. She'd grown up so much over the past few months. She'd become not so scatty as before and she seemed to be able to deal with even more violent situations. Spike was sure she'd become a great slayer.

"Oh Spike...I'm gonna miss you like crazy you know." She threw her bags to the floor and wrapped her arms quickly round his neck to support herself as she fell forwards. Spike grinned and pulled her into a tight hug. Red sniffled slightly and pulled back to wipe her face.

"I'm gonna miss you too Red. You'll be a great slayer, I swear. And plus, it's not goodbye, is it? I'll come visit when I can and you'll come over too." He brushed some hair back past her ears. She smiled shakily and gave him a quick hug before following DL at the boarding site.

Two down, one to go. The blonde had moved from the windows and was saying goodbye to his sire. They hugged briefly and Higgy smirked as she pulled away. Spike shuffled nervously and looked to the floor. He didn't want to say goodbye. And he was pretty sure that as soon as those words came out of his mouth, he would begin to cry.

"Spike?" Higgy bit her lip and stood in front of the young vampire. "You've been the best. I mean it. I've loved caring for you and having you live with us has been great fun. You've looked after us all and we've looked after you back. It was hard at times, and I know on more than one occasion you wanted to kill us, but we pulled through. And now, you're a powerful master vampire. And I'm so proud of you." Spike smiled properly. No smirk, or double meaning. Just smiled.

"Thanks."

"Welcome." Higgy grinned and grabbed her bag. "Well, gotta run. See ya." She turned to the others and found Red and DL scowling forcefully at her. Sighing and throwing them her bags, she span round and flew into Spike's arms. The vampire was taken by surprise but didn't stumble. He held onto the girl in his arms and breathed in his final scents of her.

Her hair was shining strongly in the lights and he could smell her perfume from her neck. She was burying her face into his neck and he could feel her tears soaking his neck, and he was pretty sure some of his were sliding down his face too.

"This is the final call for all passengers on flight 501 to London." Spike pulled away and held the girl at arms length. He looked into her blue eyes and saw how upset she was over loosing him all over again.

"That's your flight." He whispered and looked over her head to where the airhostess was looking disdainfully at them.

"I know... I should go." She sighed and gave her vampire a quick hug and kiss on the forehead before turning and beginning to walk down the tunnel. She turned midway and waved at them both. Angel came up beside his childe and waved back at the girl, as was Spike.

"You okay?" He whispered as the door closed on the girl that had changed their unlives.

Spike paused before answering. He nodded slowly and looked up at his Sire. "I guess so." He answered as they watched the girls' plane move towards the runway. They both went towards the airport windows and Spike pressed his head against it. Angel watched him carefully.

"Meaning?"

"Well...now I've only got the Slayer to kick my arse haven't I?" The plane whirred and clicked so far away from the airport, that only the two vampires could hear it. Angel nodded and smiled at his blue-eyed boy.

"Yeah. But I'm sure Xander will try and kick your ass too." He put his hands in his pockets and felt something there that hadn't been there before. He pulled out his hand and smiled at what Higgy had put in there.

"Yeah. Bet he'll try." Spike sighed as the plane took off. He watched until it was a mere speck in the distance before pulling away and turning to face Angel. "We'd better get home." He wiped his face free of any tear tracks and took the small gift that Higgy had left behind from Angel.

They walked through the airport in step, dusters billowing out behind them. One was smiling as he pulled out his car keys; the other was getting weird looks as he chewed thoughtfully on his dummy.

!"£$&()Fin()&$£"!

The first three paragraphs of the airport scene were written by Red herself. Luv ya Red! Without you this fic could never have even been thought of. If you hadn't kept pestering me to update update update I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have. Luv you loads. Remember that.

Thank you to DL too. Without you then I would never had got such a cool character. You're always going on about how you may act nice but you are ultimately evil, well, now more people know it.

Cheers Pepsi for your wicked support and pep talks whilst walking. We've had some cool ideas and I know not all of them got used, but I swear I'm updating as fast as I can!

Thank you to all of my reviewers. Without you I would never have even bothered to continue. This was my first ever fic on , and it'll always be my baby. But now it's all growed up and ready to take on the world! ...Okay, maybe not the world...but it's done! Hooray! Now you guys get to decide what fic you want finished next.


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